Griever's Promise
by panozdp
Summary: AU OOC: The store of warfare and lifes changed. New Summary and rating has been changed to reflect the new chapters. Rating is for graphic violence.
1. Chapter 1: Past Friends

Final Fantasy VIII: Griever's Promise

Disclaimer: I don't own FF8, the characters, blah blah blah and other legal stuff.

This is a FF8 A/U. If you don't like OCC then don't bother reading this. I have made this for my enjoyment and decided to share it with others. If you have **constructive** advice, please feel free to share it. Flames will be used to heat my Smore's. After I get a laugh out of them of course. Now on with the story!

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Chapter 1: Past Friends

Rinoa Heartily lay awake for a couple of minutes. She had had a disturbing dream. Well, more of a memory, she thought. One that had become more frequent in the past three months. It had been 4 years earlier. She and her group of friends were the best at everything they did at Balamb Garden. The four of them could do anything. They always outshone the other students in all of the combat disciplines and every other subject. She had started dating her boyfriend Seifer Almasy then. She knew, and so did the others, that the other guy in their group of four, and Seifer's best friend, Squall Leonhart had a crush on her, but Squall had never made an issue of it. Preferring that they were all friends despite his feelings. Rinoa's best friend Quistis Trepe rounded out the group and had really liked Squall, but had agreed with his feelings on being friends despite anything else so had said nothing. At first anyway.

The four did everything together. After their first year of SeeD initiate training both Squall and Seifer had been chosen to start the Gunblade program. There were no Gunblade specialists within SeeD so all the instructors watched them both carefully, and soon both had become proficient with the exotic weapon.

It was at this time that Quistis had lost her self control and, feeling hurt by Squall's attitude of them all being friends, had convinced Seifer and Rinoa to play a joke on Squall. They had agreed to the plan of Quistis telling Squall that Rinoa wanted to talk about Seifer in the Training Center, then they would not be there and laugh when he finally came out. What the Rinoa and Seifer had not known, though Quistis had, was that a particularly nasty T-Rexuar had taken up residence where they planned to tell Squall to meet Rinoa.

When Quistis had told Squall he had looked confused, having made no secret that he would not help with any of their relationship problems and they had agreed. Quistis had shrugged as Rinoa and Seifer had watched from concealment nearby. Squall still puzzled acquiesced and left. Squall had made his way quickly down to the training room from the dormitory hall where Quistis had told him, not wanting to make Rinoa wait but irritated that she would try to do this to him.

The three others had followed him from a safe distance to the training room, and saw him enter. They waited a few minutes then entered. Carefully they went to the 'meeting' place and heard the T-Rexuar's bellowing challenge. Fear gripped all three, Quistis coming to her senses in a jolt, guilt spreading over her face. Seifer saw her change and ran, Rinoa doing what she could to keep up with Quistis following close behind. They rounded a corner and stopped dead. Rinoa would be haunted by what they saw.

Squall stood his ground, engaging the monster with only his Gunblade, having come without grabbing any of his healing or support items. They watched, first in amazement as Squall fought the monster, landing attack after attack and dodging the beast. Then they watched in horror when he was unable to dodge the tail and got knocked back against one of the many trees. Seifer knew he couldn't save his friend and froze unable to move despite their vows to always help the other. Strange emotions ran through Rinoa as she watched. She didn't know if he knew she wasn't there waiting for him or not, but felt an odd feeling that he thought she was there and was trying to protect her. She saw him stand and engage the beast again. Rinoa ran to get help from the instructors.

That was when she had first met Instructor Xu, the advanced SeeD candidate teacher. Xu had run with Rinoa to the training room and followed Rinoa to the Battle. They got there just in time to see Squall collapse, blood all over the place. Most of it was his, but a surprising amount was the monster's. While she had been gone it seemed Squall had snapped, gone to a berserk level the others had never knew he had, nearly killing the beast. It only took Xu one strike to finish it off. Though her one was comparable to 10 of his, but that was amazingly close for a beginner and impressed Xu thoroughly. Xu rushed to the fallen body and pressed something in her ear calling for medics. She went to work attempting to save the young man. The three others stood. Quistis and Rinoa crying. Seifer was too numb to feel any emotion. He had frozen when his best friend had needed him. Squall had never even seen the three standing back and to his left. Not even when he got up from hitting the tree.

No one turned to see who was rushing up, but were amazed to see Garden Master NORG's personal attendants pick up Squall and rush him from Xu's ministrations, calling back for her to take the other someplace safe and find out what had happened. Xu picked up Squall's Gunblade and ordered them to follow, then left the training center. They all trooped behind her up to the second floor classroom. It was after dinner so no one else was around. Xu said only a few words.

"What happened?"

Seifer still could not speak, only stared in the distance. Rinoa was looking at the floor, her throat was constricted. Only Quistis answered in between sobs.

"I… only wanted to … play a…a…joke…it wasn't… supposed t-t-to b-be like this..." Quistis completely broke down.

Very little else was said. Things got fuzzy in Rinoa's memory at this point. She remembered trying to see Squall in the Infirmary but was told he had never been taken there. Garden Master NORG had taken him directly to the basement to try and treat him with his brand of Magic. A few days later Rinoa learned Squall had lived but had been taken from the Garden to another training facility to finish his SeeD training. No one had ever said it, but Rinoa always had felt they blamed her, Seifer and Quistis. And they were right to. They said it was best he not be around with the 'painful' memories. She assumed that meant their group.

Things had really gone down hill for the group after that. Seifer became more and more aggressive, egging people on for fights and generally being insulting. Quistis had become withdrawn and cold. Even a little sadistic. Rinoa took a path somewhere down the center, going out of her way to bully others, cause pain on the Junior Classmen, and picking fights with more aggressiveness than even Seifer. People had started to whisper that they had all been like that before but only Squall's strength had stopped it. Now he was gone and they had no controlling influence in their lives. Rinoa wondered, to herself during the miserable nights when all she could think about was what they had done to their friend, if they were right.

She lay in bed, letting these memories bring back the lingering pain they could provide, though four years had dulled it measurably. Now she was feared and thrived in that fear. Rinoa just did not feel her day was complete at the Balamb Garden without making some other persons life miserable. And, as that she was 17 and one of the senior students who also helped in the younger students training, she had ample opportunity to do this.

She had woken at 6:30, her usual time and prepared for the day by showering and putting on her blue skirt and blouse, finding a pair of clean matching socks and shoes that made up her uniform for the first part of the day. She fixed her long black hair so it hung straight down her back to her waist and left for the cafeteria to get breakfast.

Quistis and Seifer were already waiting for her and fell in behind her to get their food. As the nastiest of the three, Rinoa was naturally the leader. Seifer was in his usual dress, not quite conforming with regulations at the military school, but close enough for the instructors. His grey slacks, white long sleeved shirt were the correct cut even if they were the wrong colors. Quistis however wore the orange slacks and shirt that marked her as an assistant to the headmaster.

As they entered the line, Rinoa saw a brown haired male in all black, wearing a black duster leaning against the far wall, watching everything while he ate his food. This attire was against Garden policy as it could get, and so peaked Rinoa's interest. She wondered if this was new sport that she could come down on, being part of the disciplinary committee or he was just a visitor.

"Quistis, who is that?" She said pointing. She couldn't see his face because of the long hair, but caught the flash of his glacier like blue eyes when he saw her. She instantly was wary of this man, but not enough to put her off of tormenting him if possible.

Quistis looked to where Rinoa indicated and pulled out her PDA, using its direct access to the school admin computers to pull up a roster of the 250 students at the Garden. She scanned through the pictures quickly, failing to get a match that resembled the man across the hall.

"He isn't in the system. Probably a new student. He the new target?" Quistis grinned sadistically. Seifer grunted his approval.

"Oh, my yes. I think we will need to know more about this young man first though." The malevolence in her voice caused those standing in front of her to shift noticeably, though they were glad to not be the current target of Rinoa's hateful ways.

The reaction from these other students only made Rinoa happier. Every student in the school feared her and her two friends. Well not everyone. There were three that just had such different personalities that they were able to get along with Rinoa, Seifer and Quistis, and everyone else for that matter. This sometimes was a cause of irritation for Rinoa, and so was also a cause of irritation with Seifer and Quistis.

Rinoa continued to watch the stranger as she got her food and sat at her customary table. No one else dared to sit there. The new man stood as far away from it as possible, probably already having been warned. The three students who got along with absolutely everyone walked in, got their food and sat down with Rinoa's group. Zell Dincht, Irvine Kinneas, and Selphie Timmit. Nothing seemed to ever phase these three. And for once Rinoa was happy to see them. She had thought of a job for these three so she could begin making the new kids life hell.

"Zell, Irvine, Selphie. I was wondering if you three know that young man over against the wall."

The three turned and looked. The stranger had finished eating and was still looking at everything in the cafeteria. Zell shrugged and looked at Irvine and Selphie who both shook their heads. Zell turned back to Rinoa.

"I'll go talk to him." He said and was off before anyone could stop him.

Zell walked over to the young man and found he couldn't see his face any better then before, but the man's eyes stood out even more. Colder than the northern regions. The glare didn't affect Zell at all though and tried to strike up a conversation.

"Hi, you must be new here, I'm Zell. Zell Dincht. Put it there!" Zell held out his hand. The stranger looked down at it then looked back at Zell's face, glancing over the tattoo, then glared again.

"So, er, what's your name?" When the stranger said nothing Zell spoke again. "Hey man, just trying to be friendly. Everyone needs friends, ya know?"

The stranger spoke. Hate making every syllable quiver. "The last people I counted as friends played a joke on me. They thought it would be funny to tell me to meet one of them in a particular area of the Training Center. This particular spot had become the nesting spot of the worst T-Rexaur that had ever been in there. I thought one of them was back there and only I stood between my friend and the monster. This 'friend' was actually watching and laughing nearby with the other two." The rage made his eyes flash the color of flint. "I need no friends. They will betray you in the end. Even when you had grown up like brothers with one of them, they will betray you. Oh, and if I hear you mentioned this to anyone, I will kill you. Slowly and painfully."

"Training Center? You mean you were a student here?"

The stranger still said nothing, just glared at him, then the stranger stood up straight. He towered over Zell's 5' 5". Although Zell was a good fighter, he decided this was not going to be pleasant if he stayed so excused himself and sat back down.

"So, who is he?" Quistis asked.

"Didn't say. But that guy is huge. He's bigger than you are Seifer." Zell said with a shrug. No one noticed his reticence of speech, neither did they notice he failed to meet anyone's eyes.

Shortly after this statement, the young man was approached by Instructor Xu. Whatever was said, he nodded to her and followed her out. The six people watched until both were out of site.

"Could you three do me a favor?" Zell, Selphie and Irvine nodded. "Good. I would like you guys to find out about that young man for me." Rinoa grinned like a Cheshire cat.

Zell, Irvine and Selphie said their goodbyes shortly after, heading for classes. Rinoa Seifer and Quistis followed shortly thereafter. The reached the classroom that the most experienced students met in several minutes after class had started. As it was mostly independent study at their stage, it did not matter too much that they were late.

The room was designed to hold 50 students, however only 20 met in this room. As such they were fairly spread out. Though they still stuck to their groups. When Rinoa and her passed Zell, he was working on his thesis about combat philosophy they all had to finish before they could take the Fire Cave test which was a pre-requisite to the final SeeD candidate test, but nodded politely to them. Selphie was nearby working on a design for her personal combat weapon. They needed to have those finished soon as well, as they couldn't keep using Garden equipment forever. Selphie smiled and waived before engrossing her self in the design program once more. In contrast, Irvine, who was sitting right next to Selphie, was to engrossed in assembling his personal weapon to notice anyone. He lovingly assembled and checked the pieces for what looked like a rifle.

Sitting in their usually spots near the center of the room, Rinoa and the others started on fairly similar projects. They had became quite absorbed doing this when the door opened and Instructor Xu asked for everyone's attention.

"Everyone, we have a student who will be finishing his Garden training with us here in Balamb. Now I know that some of you have the power to administer punishments for not conforming to the dress code," She looked at Rinoa and her two friends who were the entire disciplinary committee, "so per Headmaster Cid's orders, you are not to use this with the new student. His attire has been officially sanctioned for his stay with us by both the headmaster and Garden Master NORG." Xu motioned for the student to come forward. The black clothed boy from earlier entered. "Everyone, this is our new student. I will let him introduce himself when or if he wants to." He nodded slightly. No one said anything. Up close he was intimidating. He easily passed Seifer for height and must have and a good 40 pounds on him. A black leather wrapped handle was now above his shoulder, sticking out of a special opening in the back of his duster and at an odd angle.

Xu turned to him. "Now the headmaster has told me you have already given him your thesis on combat philosophy. Feel free to work on your personal weapon." She said the last glancing at the handle over his shoulder.

He turned to face Xu and said something. No one could her what was said, nor was anyone in the position to even see his lips move.

"Very well. You may want to choose a station and begin to familiarize your self with the monsters in our training area. The last portion of the day is spent there. You may also want to get acquainted with some of the students as the beasts can be best defeated in groups."

Instructor Xu left the room. He went straight to the back of the classroom, sat at a terminal and immersed himself in learning every available statistic about the local variety of monsters in the Balamb area.

"I wonder what his weapon is," Rinoa thought to herself. This was only a secondary thought though. She was much more interested in making this new guy miserable. She thought contently on how to do this, and only put in a partial effort into her own thesis. Seifer however was totally engrossed in the final stages of design for his weapon and paid no attention to the newcomer. Quistis similarly paid no attention, but went back to cleaning her weapon, already assembled. It was a wicked looking whip with barbs down its length and a steel blade at the tip.

Rinoa had already finished her weapon. A wrist mounted launcher, sending objects that resembled nothing as much as saw blades at great speeds. It was in her dorm, waiting to be tried out today after lunch in the training area. Seifer gave her a quick kiss as he printed his design and left the room to reach the machine shop in the basement to make the required components for his new Gunblade.

The room was quite for sometime until Irvine let out a giddy laugh, startling everyone. He held in his hands up above his head the completed sniper rifle, showing it to Selphie with such enthusiasm as she assembled her own weapon, a three segmented nunchaku, from parts she had machined shortly before. Rinoa let out an irritated sigh that silenced the whole room. Not even Zell, Selphie and Irvine liked to annoy Rinoa. It was a painful experience.

By the time lunch had come around, every one had finished their individual projects and were either polishing their weapons, or printing their thesis for the Headmaster. Zell, had finished his thesis and pulled out the metal backed gloves that he favored as weapons, being the best fist fighter among the student body, though many doubted he could take on any of the full SeeD members. Instructor Xu walked in and dismissed them for an hour, warning them not to eat to much because of the training center exercise that would commence that afternoon.

They all filed out after Rinoa, Seifer and Quistis with Zell and the new guy bringing up the rear. Zell looked like he was bout to ask a bunch of questions, like where he was from and such, but the look the new guy gave him unnerved Zell so he remained silent. After a few minutes, Zell gave up and hurried to join Selphie and Irvine. The stranger had watched the trio who left first. A boiling anger like he had never felt before, despite all that had happened, surged through him. It was all he could do not to kill them right then and there in front of the entire class. He would have felt justified, even if Garden Master NORG and the Headmaster would not have approved.

After a few minutes he had control back. He would get them, in the end he would take his revenge on them. The icy exterior he had developed after all he had seen and experienced hid all feelings from everyone. He decided to forgo lunch and headed straight to the training center. The place he had first seen Hell. He was surprised to see Irvine there talking with Instructor Xu.

"Instructor?" His deep voice startled Xu and Irvine who had not noticed his arrival. "I would like permission to enter and warm up."

Xu looked him over. She knew about his previous training from the Headmaster as well as his past. She knew exactly who stood before her. She felt she needed to ask one question. She had seen how Rinoa, Seifer and Quistis had not recognized him. "Ok, feel free. But first, you didn't tell them who you were, did you?"

"No, nor will I. They will find out soon enough. You will have to use my name sometime." His face was perfectly blank. Letting no emotion show.

The statement took Xu off guard. "Umm, yeah, Go ahead and enter. Did you want to do this as a practice or as your test?"

"As my test. Then I will return to my dormitory." He looked at the Instructor, devoid of all feeling.

"Irvine," Xu turned back to the long haired gunman in his combat cloths of brown leather pants and a white shirt, "I want you to observe him as you have already passed this section, though with a different weapon. Observe but do not interfere."

Irvine nodded and entered the training area with his rifle over his shoulder and moved to a position far above the ground were he could observe and not be attacked by the roaming monsters.

Over the course of the next 45 minutes the other students showed up. All of the them wearing white shirts, the easier to identify friendlys with, but the girls wore a variety of different colored sweat bottoms while the men wore either brown or black loose leather pants like Irvine. Once most of them were gathered, Irvine walked out of the training room and headed straight for Xu, the new guy right behind him. Not even sweating, his hair still preventing anyone from seeing his face.

Rinoa noticed and eased closer to try and hear the conversation, curious that one of the students had been in there already.

"Ma'am," Irvine said saluting, "he performed perfectly. That's the most amazing fighting I have ever seen. Nothing touched him. The biggest monsters still hadn't shown up when he reached the time limit, but I have no doubt from what I saw that he could have even taken a T-Rexaur."

Before Xu could respond, the new guy reached her and had a hushed conversation then left the training area. Still wearing his black cloths. Rinoa just stared. There was not a scratch on him. Though she should have been impressed, she wanted to humiliate this man more than ever. Just as much as she wanted to know who he was.

"Alright class, fight individually or in teams. You will be in there the rest of the day, so take it easy and try to not get yourselves killed. I would recommend that you stick with the easy and medium areas. The other instructors will be watching and report your grades directly to me. Go to it!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" The students entered, Irvine rejoined Selphie and Zell. The rest of the students following shortly after. The group all did well and passed, Irvine having taken the test twice, just so he could test out his new gun design. After the test, the group left to the cafeteria, starved after their battle.

It was well after the dinner hour for the rest and Rinoa was surprised to see some one still there. And although he was doing his homework and not eating, the black clothing easily gave away the new guy. Rinoa wanted to start in on this man, but would not until she knew more about him. Irvine had seen him fight. She would talk to him. She didn't have to wait long, as Irvine, Zell and Selphie grabbed their food and followed Rinoa to her table.

Before Rinoa could ask any questions, Irvine started to speak knowing what she would ask.

"I have never seen anyone fight with such speed. He took on every one of those monsters, killing the Grats in groups. He never even looked tired, though I could never see his face. I couldn't even see his weapon or hear the sound of it. The monsters just seemed drawn to him and their cries were the only sound." Irvine shuddered at the memory. A sniper shuddering at the slaughter usually meant something, and now was no different.

No one said anything as they all ate, brooding in the silence. It was just as Rinoa was coming up with a plan to find out who this man was, perhaps by feigning interest in him, when the need was taken from her. Doctor Kadowaki had walked in, and seeing the new student, walked quickly over to him, her voice clear in the silence of the tired students. She had known this young man since she came to Balamb Garden when he was accepted into the SeeD candidate program four years before.

"Well, well. Squall Leonhart, it has been a long time. You seem to have recovered just fine. My how you have grown." She was smiling widely, as Squall looked up. He flicked his hair back and there was the face so well known to so many, though now it had a large scar from his forehead down his cheek and looked hardened from years of fighting.

A partial smile flickered on his lips as he spoke quietly to her. She responded in a like manner, to soft for anyone to grasp the meaning in the shocked silence. Squall stood, gathered his homework and followed the doctor out of the Cafeteria. No one spook for a long time.

Finally Rinoa said, turning her shocked face to Seifer next to her then Questis across from her, "Did she say Squall Leonhart? Was that HIM?"

"Now I know why that story sounded so familiar." Zell looked up suddenly panicked. He hadn't meant to say that out loud. Especially if he was as good a fighter now as he had been then. Zell had fought Squall in training once. He had no doubt Squall had held back, but Zell had been beaten badly.

Rinoa's head jerked to look at him. "What story?" Her tone was furious. Seifer and Quistis were looking murderous. Zell blanched.

"When I went to talk to him this morning, he told me about how he needed no friends and said that he had been betrayed by the people he thought had been friends. They had tried playing a joke on him and he was on the wrong end of a T-Rexaur. He told me this with such… hatred… in his voice that I had no doubt that he would keep the promise to kill me if I told anyone. They story had struck my memory but I couldn't recall the exact story. Now I remember that it was what was rumored to have happened to Squall Leonhart."

Seifer's face had gone suddenly blank. Quistis had her head in her hands. Rinoa just looked like she had been slapped across the face. It made sense to her. She thought she had seen something in those eyes from across the room that morning. Something that did not bode well for her. Now she knew that it was hate. The man who had once had a crush on her and who, she thought though she would not tell another soul this not even Seifer, had kept her from giving into her own darkness.

She remembered the feelings she had when she saw him fighting that T-Rexaur. She had never taken a close look at those feelings. Afraid of what she would find. She had felt a certain fondness for him, she knew, but what she felt was beyond fondness in that Training Center. Her chest constricted as her heart beat faster. She couldn't admit the emotion she remembered to herself. Nor could she look at how she felt now. She just wanted all emotion to shut down.

Rinoa didn't even notice when Zell, Irvine and Selphie left the table, talking quietly to each other about this ghost, back from the dead. She had never told anyone that he had been transferred. She had only shrugged when Seifer and Quistis had asked her. 'Why didn't he tell us it was him?' She thought. But then she remembered what Zell had said. 'He believes that Seifer and I did that on purpose. He's right that Quistis did it on purpose, though she didn't mean for it to go that far. He…' shock made its slow path through her numb mind, 'He hates me.' The pain this caused was so great that she stood and run to her dormitory, not paying any attention to the startled looks that anyone gave her.

The fourth member of the Elite group of SeeD candidates, alive after all this time, and the cruel, sadistic Rinoa, with tears running down her face, fled in the direction exactly opposite from where Squall had gone. The other students looked away, as Seifer and Quistis ran to catch up with Rinoa.

They got to her room shortly after she had and found her on the bed. No longer crying but looking like that could start again at any moment. They looked at Rinoa, old emotions and memories that they had kept locked away started to the surface. Seifer sat heavily in the chair by Rinoa's desk. Quistis joined Rinoa on the bed.

"What do we do now? Do we tell him the truth? Do we apologize? What if he just snaps and lashes out at us?" Quistis spoke in a voice that was not hers. It kept getting higher as she became more hysterical. "Seifer, could you protect us? I don't think I could stop him! Could you Rinoa?"

Seifer shook his head. "I was never his match. I could not have taken that T-Rexaur like he did. For all my training, if Irvine is right and we have to believe he is, Squall could probably rip me apart. Especially if he is still using a Gunblade." This pronouncement was met with a noise of fright from Quistis.

Rinoa had focused on the first question. What do they do now? Could they even approach Squall?

The three discussed possibilities until after midnight. When they could not come up with anything, Seifer and Quistis returned to their own rooms. Seifer didn't even give Rinoa her goodnight kiss, but Rinoa was in no state to receive it. Rinoa lay awake for over an hour, until exhaustion took her stressed mind. She dreamed again that night about Squall fighting the T-Rexuar

Several floors up, the Headmaster had called Irvine, Zell, and Selphie for a private meeting. Word had made its way to the Headmaster that they all knew Squall was back. He needed to make a desperate decision now. NORG and he had decided it would be best if Squall had no interaction with his former friends. They had know his hostility towards them the moment that NORG had returned Squall to the land of the living. He was… different… ever since. They knew he would be better off elsewhere and had sent him to a private training ground to the north that NORG set up on extremely short notice.

They rest of the faculty thought he just had received some special training. They didn't know that Squall had been used as a guinea pig for some extreme and dangerous experiments to increase his speed and power. NORG was not even sure if Squall was even stable after that. Cid decided to not take any chances.

"Zell, Irvine, and Selphie. What I am about to tell you is top secret and may not leave this room. The only reason I am telling you this is because you three seem to be able to get along with everyone here in the Garden.. As such, I hope that you will be able to guide others reactions, though you are not to reveal this to them. Understood?" Cid waited until all three had nodded then continued. "Squall is a black ops project. Now I need you to understand this, he isn't a part of a black ops project. He IS the project. Squall is not all human anymore. Some fairly dangerous and horrific experiments were done to him to try and create the perfect warrior. He will kill without a second thought if it falls within the guidelines that he has been indoctrinated with. This is a project that Garden Master NORG and I approved. And now it is Balamb Garden's job to see if he is stable and will become our top SeeD. I want you three to try and guide the other students behavior to avoid any … incidents."

"Yes sir!"

A knock sounded at the door and Squall walked in. Just as menacing as he had always been, with a placid expression on his face. The others were dismissed and left the room quickly.

"You wanted to see me Headmaster?" Squall stood at attention.

"Yes Squall. I know you want to take out the last four years on your friends," Squall's eyes flashed though no other emotion crossed his face, "I suppose I should say former friends, but that will not be tolerated without their independent provocation. And IF such confrontation arises, you are NOT to use deadly force. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sir, yes sir."

"Dismissed." As Squall left, Cid thought about his ulcer for the hundredth time that day.


	2. Chapter 2: Consequences

CH. 2: Consequences

Rinoa woke to the sound of her alarm. She could not shake the dream. It kept replaying those last seconds of Squall's fight with the T-Rexaur. But each time she was laughing and cheering on the T-Rexaur, just as Squall believed she had. It left her feeling sick. They had all day in the training facility today in preparation for their Fire Cave test in two days. Training today, Thursday off, then the Fire Cave test on Friday. If she passed, she would have her SeeD test in a week. Otherwise she would be repeating the Fire Cave test.

Rinoa got up slowly, aching from the thrashing she had done during the night. She went to the shower and allowed the warm water to clear her mind and soothe her body. Her stomach stayed in a knot though. She knew she would have to face Squall sooner or later. Four years ago she would have begged his forgiveness and tried to explain what really happened, but now she just didn't know. She had changed so much since he had left.

After dressing in her white shirt and sweat bottoms for the Training Center, Rinoa went to the cafeteria to meet Seifer and Quistis. Rinoa had no intention of eating, and upon reaching the cafeteria the smell of food made her feel sick. To her relief, Seifer and Quistis didn't want to eat either. The made their way to the TC, freeing weapons as they went. When they reached the destination, Instructor Xu was already there. She smiled at the three approaching her.

"Good morning. I feel I must apologize for not telling you that it was Squall, but I was under orders not to say anything. Apparently, Dr Kadowaki was not under those same orders." She looked slightly embarrassed by the way events had turned out. "If you hurry, you may be able to catch up with him. He just went in a few minutes ago."

The group didn't say anything but walked in. They moved deeper in, only putting in a half hearted effort, but still managing to some how not get hurt. It surprised them when they caught up with Squall. They could see him through a gap in the trees. It was the area he had fought the T-Rexaur all that time ago. He was kneeling down, his weapon holstered on his back. Squall placed his hand in the exact spot where he had died in that fight so long ago.

Before Rinoa, Seifer or Quistis could say anything, Selphie, Zell and Irvine grabbed them and moved them away from Squall. When Rinoa looked at them, Irvine just shook his head and placed his finger to his lips. After a few minutes, the heard Squall move off to finish the circuit. Although they knew it was for the best, Rinoa and group still resented being pulled back and gave the others cold enough glares to get them to move on ahead.

Rinoa and her friends headed straight to the exit, only taking the time to kill the monsters that were in their way. The TC was not going to be a place they could find solace any more. Secretly each of them wondered how they had ever returned after what had happened. They all returned to Rinoa's room. The same thought going through all of their minds. They had not choice. The would eventually be forced into a conversation with Squall. So they decided it would be best if it happened when they were as ready as they could be. They decided to approach Squall by the Front Gates the next morning where the candidates would meet to go to the Fire Cave test. With this decided the others went to bed and Rinoa was left with her thoughts.

Squall had cared for me once. Perhaps that will keep me safe, she thought to herself. A voice deep inside her whispered for her not to bet on it. She detested that voice but knew it was right. She lay there quiet for a longtime. She noted how at peace she was despite what might happen the next day. She wondered if it was because she might get a friend back that she and the others had obviously needed. That thought didn't feel right though. Instead of pushing herself for answers, Rinoa let the questions slip away and fell asleep.

She dreamt of Squall's last moments fighting the T-Rexaur. This time though she heard words, barely escaping his lips with his last breath. "Rinoa…" She woke in a cold sweat. Was that a dream? Was her mind allowing some of the events it had blocked to escape into the realms of dreams? Her heart raced, breathing hard. She looked at her clock. 5:45. She couldn't get her heart to slow so she went into her bathroom. She turned on the cold water in the sink and splashed her face. Dread filled her for what lay ahead. There was a knock at her door.

Opening the door, Rinoa found Quistis and Seifer fully dressed. She cocked her head quizzically.

"I couldn't sleep so I stopped by Seifer's on my way to your room. He was already up too."

Rinoa nodded and excused herself, slipping into the bathroom and closing the door so she could get dressed. It suddenly struck her how she and Seifer had never been more intimate that the sharing of a deep kiss. Puzzlement crossed her tired mind but was swept away when Seifer called out that they needed to get moving. Rinoa finished dressing in her combat clothes and the three set off for the gate.

Upon arriving at the gate they found an unusual group of people waiting, already there. Squall was leaning against the fence facing the road. Irvine, Selphie and Zell stood just to his left, between the recent arrivals and the one they had called friend. It struck Rinoa how odd that was, Irvine and the others were almost late for every outdoor activity. For them to be this early usually meant something was up.

Rinoa shook her head, She didn't have time for this if they were to talk to Squall before the test. She moved forward attempting to go around the other three. Selphie stepped in her way effectively stopping her. Irvine and Zell did the same to Quistis and Seifer.

"What do you think your doing?" Seifer sounded dangerous, but it didn't affect the determined Zell.

"We cant let you talk to him Seifer. We cant afford for their to be a problem." Zell had never stood up to them like this. He had always preferred jokes and light hearted teasing to disarm these people.

"We don't have a choice Zell. We have to talk to him." Rinoa was adamant. Quistis stayed silent.

"Its your choice of course Rinoa," said Selphie, "but this is not a good idea. Ok, let the fools go through."

Rinoa knew instantly it was an attempt to anger her to stay and yell at Selphie. She appreciated the attempt but was not to be dissuaded. Rinoa touched Selphie lightly on the shoulder and moved past her. Seifer and Quistis followed close behind.

Squall knew the sound of the approaching feet. At one time they would have brought a smile to his lips and a song to his heart. But that was before. Now each footstep made the anger that was almost always there to quiver. The anger wanted to be released on the cause of his torment, but Squall knew how to control it. Squall didn't even look up when Rinoa spoke. Looking at her would only push his restraint, which he didn't want to do after his talk with the headmaster two days previous.

"Squall. It has been a long time." She spoke softly. Squall made no sign that he had heard her, but she was certain he had.

"Squall, please, let us explain what really happened!" Her voice seemed tinged by desperation. It wasn't something he had heard before. She grabbed his arm.

"Please, Squall!" Something else filtered into her voice. Squall didn't know what it was. He didn't care to know either.

"Take your filthy hands off me." It wasn't shouted. Rinoa wish it would have been. Maybe then the venom wouldn't have been so clear. Rinoa pulled her arm back. She started to get angry.

Why wasn't he listening? They had been friends, all of them. Now he was treating her like muck from the sewer that had gotten on his jacket. How dare he act this way to her!

"I'm trying to talk to you! You left us four years ago without saying anything. Without even letting us know you were ok! How dare you be that cold you bastard.

During her rant, Rinoa had taken her wrist launcher from off her back and attached it to her right wrist. She raised it to Squall's face. Seeing Rinoa angry, Seifer drew his sword from its sheath on his waist. The strangely brilliant blade seemed to pulse with an inner fire. Quistis had her whip ready.

Squall had had enough. He had never hit a women before, but then, no women had ever had a weapon in his face before. Squall moved with the speed born of long training and back handing Rinoa in the face while simultaneously knocking the weapon away and grabbing for the handle on his back. Quistis flicked her whip as soon as Rinoa fell, catching Squall across the right cheek before he grabbed the whip end and yanked it from her grasp. Seifer had yelled in rage at seeing his girlfriend being struck and charged, his sword held up. The discussions from the past two days were gone in a few moments of pour choices.

Squall dropped the whip and pulled free his massive sword, stopping Seifer's attack with ease. Squall then lashed his foot out and caught Seifer in the solar plexus, making him drop from the pain. Quistis dived for her whip, but was slapt away with the flat side of Squalls sword, landing unconscious against a tree across the road..

The students who had shown up during the confrontation didn't make a sound. No one had ever taken on those three before. The ones closest to the fight saw emotion in Squall's eyes for the first time though his face was placid. Rinoa looked up, dazed by his fist, and stared with anger into his eyes. What she saw there made her blanch.

Squall's eyes screamed for her to see that he wanted to kill her. The only reason that she was alive was due to the Headmaster's orders. Not any long forgotten friendship.

Squall bent down, grabbing Rinoa by the throat and hauling her up until her feet no longer touched the ground. She was having trouble breathing because of his hand, but had no trouble hearing him speak.

"Why would I want to hear anything from your traitorous lips? The Squall you knew died four years ago in the training center watched by his friends. They had planned to play a joke on him, or so he was later told. Admit the truth, you three wanted Squall dead. Isn't that right? You all conspired to get him killed."

Rinoa tried to shake her head, but it only made her choke worse so she quickly stopped. An odd gagging sound coming from her throat now.

"Let me relay to you the events of that day from another persons perspective. There was young, 13 year old Squall in the cafeteria waiting for his three best friends in the world. His near-brother Seifer Almasy, who had been his first friend and had promised to always help each other. The girl they both loved, but because Squall respected Seifer to much had never said anything about, Rinoa Heartily"

A shocked sound was heard above the gagging.

"This surprises you? That Squall loved you?" Squall made a derisive snort. "And of course we can't forget Quistis Trepe. Cunning, kind, and Rinoa's best friend. These friends didn't show up. After waiting for them for an hour, Squall decided to go do his homework and returned to the dormitories. This is where he is stopped by a nonchalant Quistis, who tells Squall that Rinoa wanted to talk to Squall about Seifer and his past because they were having problems. Squall brought up the point he had made when they had started dating to them all about him not getting involved in their problems. Rinoa and Seifer had acquiesced to this, but now it appears Rinoa was going to back out of it. Quistis told Squall that Rinoa was waiting for him in a particular section of the TC. One in which Squall was fairly certain that he had heard about being the new grounds for a T-Rexaur."

Rinoa was running out of air, but had stopped fighting. She was to engrossed in what he was saying.

"Without a thought for his own safety, not even stopping by his room to grab his healing items should anything happen, Squall rushed to the TC. He made his way quickly to the spot, but was unable to enter the foliage due to the angry T-Rexuar that had made its appearance. Again, without thought to personal safety, Squall engaged in battle with the T-Rexuar, calling for Rinoa to run for help and he would hold it off while she ran."

Squall took a deep, calming breath and continued.

"Squall engaged in this fight and seemed to be doing well until he was struck against a tree. He hoped that Rinoa, the girl he loved, had gotten free and run for help and that it would be arriving very soon. Again he ran at the monster, fighting it with all his strength despite the numerous wounds he was receiving. He could feel his strength waning. A slow realization dawned. There was no help. He was going to die here with no one to know about it until he had become food for this monster. The despair gave him strength. If he was going to die, so was the monster. But this was not enough. Squall collapsed to the ground. Unable to rise. The triumphant bugle of the monster echoing in his exhausted mind. He spoke one word before leaving this world. 'Rinoa…" Still no emotion touched Squall's face as he told Rinoa of his death, her being his last thought. He let Rinoa down enough that she could breath. It would not due for her to pass out before he finished.

"You cannot imagine the torment that he, that I suffered. I was put into a personal Hell were I saw you three standing and watching me die. The pain that I suffered as the only redeeming virtues that I had, my loyalty to my friends and my commitment to protect others, was ripped and twisted from me until they were gone. I suffered an eternity there. When Garden Master NORG brought me back, the man that I was had been dead to long and left with only his hatred and despair."

Anger showed for the first time on his face. Not just anger, but fury.

"You think you have any right to degrade me further with your tirades? YOU took everything from me." What was said next was to quite for anyone to have heard. "If you come near me again you will die."

A clear voice rang out against the silence.

"Squall, just what do you think you are doing!" Instructor Xu had show up and had seen Quistis against the tree, still dazed, Seifer on the ground in pain, and Squall holding Rinoa by the throat.

"Instructor Xu. I was only reminding Miss Heartily about lost values, lives, and the consequences of our actions." As he finished he dropped her.

The moment passed and Squall walked off towards the Fire Caves, disappearing from sight. After a glance at Xu most of the other students moved off as well. Selphie and Zell stayed to help, Quistis. Seifer slowly stood with Irvine's help and walked over to where Rinoa had dropped stunned.

"You ok, Rinoa?" She just sat there. Seifer had to repeat his question two more times before she heard.

"He wanted to kill me!" She whispered. Then louder, "He wanted to kill me!" Rinoa started to hyperventilate. Zell came over carrying Quistis with Selphie right behind.

"I'm going to get that dirty…" Seifer raged.

"Lets get you three to the infirmary." Irvine said helping Rinoa up.

"You six will be taking the test later. Right now you have other things to focus on. Which does not include trying to 'get' anybody Seifer." Xu looked livid.

The walked back into the Garden, Rinoa supported by Selphie, Seifer by Irvine, and Quistis being carried by Zell. Doctor Kadowaki apparently had been expecting them. Xu must have told her they were coming..

"What on earth happened?" The Doctor exclaimed.

"Um, they had a slight disagreement with Squall." Irvine said cautiously.

"Assist them onto the exam tables, I will only be a minute."

"Yes Ma'am."

A short time later Quisits was laying on a bed, still dazed, Rinoa had an icepack over her bruised cheek and throat, and Seifer was being x-rayed. Rinoa could clearly see the boot print on Seifer's muscular stomach, which was now discolored from the bruise. The three students who had helped them in had left to report back to Instructor Xu. The doctor lead Seifer to one of the other beds and then went to look at the x-ray.

"Well, Seifer," she said, "you don't seem to have any internal injuries, however that was quite a blow to your solar plexus, so I am going to keep you here for observation. Rinoa, could I talk to you a moment?" The doctor looked straight at her. Rinoa nodded and followed the doctor to her office where she closed the door.

"I want you to tell me exactly what happened. You had been friends with Squall! Why would he do this?" Her tone said it would brook no silly comments from the young women.

Rinoa could only nod her head, still in a state of shock. She looked up, a wild look in her eye. "We wanted to explain to him what happened four years ago, but wouldn't respond. When I touched him he told me to get my filthy hands off him. I don't know why, but I lost it. I started screaming at him and threatened him with my weapon."

Tears were forming in her eyes as she remembered how she had snapped at him. He had had every right to be angry and disgusted with her, but she had lashed out at him. She started to cry. The doctor rubbed her back in a comforting manner. Rinoa continued with the story.

"After I, did that, he knocked it way, took out Quistis and Seifer then held me by the throat as he told me what happened from his point of view." She looked over at Seifer and Quistis. The doctor realized that she wanted privacy and closed the door to her office so the others couldn't hear. "He… he… had died, fighting that T-Rexaur four years ago. He died because he though he was saving MY life. He said that he had loved me and that… I had taken everything from him." Rinoa was sobbing into her hands.

The doctor sighed. The Headmaster had briefed her on Squall when he had come back. She knew she shouldn't say anything to this girl, but felt she had to before the girl and her two friends made a deadly mistake.

"Rinoa, you must stay away from Squall. If you provoke him again, you will probably end up in the morgue. That boy is far beyond you and your friend's level. If you give him cause, it sounds like any cause at all, he will kill you without mercy or second thought. Squall is not the same boy he was. I can't tell you anymore, but I hope you listen to my warning." The doctor stood to check on her other two patients. "You can return to your dorm room now Rinoa. Think about what I said." As the doctor moved to leave her office, Rinoa stopped her.

"I know he isn't the same man he was. That is my fault. How am I supposed to live knowing I did that to him? I knew he had strong feelings for me, but I had always ignored those because he did too. I didn't know that he would die trying to protect me. I didn't know he would die believing that I had knowingly betrayed him. What am I supposed to do now?" Fear was evident in Rinoa's voice.

"Rinoa, I shouldn't have even told you this much. Go to bed. That is an order." The doctor left the room.

Rinoa sat for a couple of minutes before leaving for her dormitory. She passed several students who where leaving from dinner in the cafeteria, but she didn't register their presence. She was far to lost in thought, coming out of it only long enough to unlock her dorm room, enter and fall to the floor. She was so confused. What did the doctor mean by that? She understood the warning well enough. She had no doubt that Squall would kill her if given a cause. But why would he not listen. She wanted so much to make things right. But couldn't even begin to imagine how she could.

Several floors above, Zell, Selphie, Irvine and Instructor Xu where in the Headmaster's office. He was listening to Zell tell what happened while Selphie and Irvine only nodded when he asked if the story was correct. Zell had told the Headmaster everything.

"Xu, you are dismissed. Return to the students at the Fire Cave and inform them that they are all confined to their dormitories until further notice. Then I want you to inform the three involved the same. Squall is to be sent up here immediately."

"Sir!" Xu left.

"I know you three tried your best to stop this. It was well out of your powers. I want you three to avoid Squall too. He is not the same boy he was four years ago. It would be dangerous to think so. Before he had been a very serious, but a happy kid nonetheless. That boy died four years ago. Please remember that. He was telling you the truth. He did die. I now wonder if that was a mistake. Now return to your dormitories. I will be speaking with all of the students later. Dismissed."

They saluted and left. Cid was left with a headache that he knew was only going to get worse. He would need to talk to NORG about this. As he was right now, Squall could never be the SeeD they wanted. A knock at his door jerked Cid out of his thoughts.

"Come in."

Squall entered. He showed absolutely no emotion. Cid suspected more had remained in the land of the dead than NORG wanted to admit.

"Squall, you are going to cause me a lot of problems. You are to avoid contact with Rinoa, Seifer and Quistis until further notice. This includes if they approach you. You are to leave the area immediately and return to your dorm room. Also, you are also confined to your dormitory except when using the training room at nights. Dismissed."

"Yes, Sir." Squall saluted and left.


	3. Chapter 3: Fate

A/N: I know this one is short. Things didn't really work out for it to be a part of other chapters. Next one is longer.

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Ch.3: Fate

It had been a several days since the incident at the front gate. Seifer was still confined to his dormitory for refusing a direct order from the Headmaster. Quistis had received a bad head trauma from her head hitting the tree and was still in the infirmary. Rinoa was feeling lonely and still spooked by the events of the Friday before. She decided to work out some of her frustrations and fears in the Training Center. She had taken the doctors advice to heart and had avoided any contact with Squall since then. She had seen this greatly relieved Selphie when the girl had stopped by to talk to Rinoa about it. She told Rinoa that the Headmaster had asked her to try and get Rinoa to reach the same conclusion when Rinoa had asked why Selphie was so relieved.

It was late at night, no one would be about at this time, so Rinoa put on her white halter top and black shorts, grabbed her wrist launcher and headed towards the training area. She had said very little to the other students that had asked her if she was ok, and had not visited Quistis. She had not even tried to talk to Seifer, though if she had it would not have done any good as there was a guard at his door 24/7. Rinoa needed time to sort through her own emotions.

She entered the training room and started working through the easy area. She got lost in the battles, her mind blissfully clear until she realized that she was had passed into the area that Squall had died in. This was much further that she had intended to go. There was far to many memories her for her to safely battle. She turned to retreat to the zones closer to the exit when she was hit hard from behind. Her back seared in pain, then so did almost everything else as she slid across the rough ground. A fully grown T-Rexaur had hit her with its tale and was now looking at her like she was its next meal. Rinoa, screamed in terror. She knew she could not take this monster on, knew that it was far beyond her. But even worse, she knew that no one knew she was there. She was going to die alone.

She was going to die. And it was a T-Rexaur that was going to do it. That should please Squall, was her bitter thought. Then she started crying. More than anything in her life she wanted to apologize to Squall, to have him tell her it was alright. That he forgave her. With this in mind, she prepared for her death and thought that maybe she could meet the Squall she had known in the next life. Maybe what had come back was only a shadow of Squall. That the real Squall would hold her and tell her it was alright.

"Squall….I am so sorry!" Her cry went out across the Training Center was filled with emotions that had been locked away for a long time.

Many stories below, Cid was meeting with NORG. He explained to the Garden Master his concerns over Squall. NORG sighed with regret when Cid told him about what happened with Rinoa. This was and always had been his main concern.

"Cid, do you know why I wanted you to bring Squall back?" The other man shook his head. "I wanted Squall to come back and regain what I could not give back to him. His heart. I knew he would be an excellent SeeD. But without having his full range of emotions, he will always be handicapped and not entirely trustworthy. I honestly hoped that the love he had for her before his death would be enough to save him."

NORG looked sadder than Cid had ever seen him. Cid had known NORG did everything he could to bring Squall back whole. It looked like he had failed. It just wasn't possible to bring some things back, Cid thought.

"We have no choice Cid. We have to kill Squall. He needs to be sent back to the rest of himself in the other world. I know all he saw was a burning Hell, but that was my magic I'm afraid. He will be at peace once he has rejoined himself."

Cid looked just as rejected has he had when NORG had told him the events in the Training Center four years before. It continually saddened him what jealousy could do to people. How it could rip friends apart and forever turn one's heart with that betrayal.

"How can we do that? We don't have anyone that could take him in a fight." Cid resigned himself to this fate.

"We don't need to sacrifice anyone else by having them try to take Squall on. I ordered Irvine Kinneas to build a sniper rifle and be proficient with it." Cid shot NORG a reproachful type of look. "I know I dismissed your words, but I took them to heart and planned for the worst, just in case."

"I know, you did the right thing of course. I am just concerned about what this order will do to Irvine. He really looked up to Squall, though I doubt Squall ever knew." Cid shook his head. "I really need a drink."

"I think I will join you." NORG rose and followed Cid to the top floor and into Cid's office.

"I really hate myself sometimes." NORG said.

Cid nodded knowingly, "Me too. And this is certainly one of those times. I'll give the order tomorrow morning.


	4. Chapter 4: Reconciliation

CH 4: Reconciliation

The T-Rex bellowed and ran towards her, intent on the kill. Rinoa closed her eyes, curled into a ball waiting for this beast that carried her death, to finish it all. She could finally be with the man she respected the most. She cared for Siefer, but she had never truly loved him. The passion they had, had dwindled and died years before. Squall's death had triggered a subconscious reevaluation of feelings. She now brought these forward. Hoping her last thoughts would allow her the purity to see him again. She had done so much wrong over the years she feared that she wouldn't be granted that chance..

Every cruel action, every mean thought and word, every problem she had caused passed in a torrent through her mind. Calmness filled her. It would all be over soon. She wouldn't have to worry about that any more. She heard a whisper of sound. Something so faint, she wasn't sure she had heard it at all.

Rinoa heard the beast let out another roar. Instead of the victory sound she was expecting, it was a roar of pain. She opened her eyes and brushed the hair away from her face. A figure in a black duster, holding the most magnificent gunblade she had seen easily in one hand. He stood between her and the T-Rex. The dinosaur had a gash across its snout that dripped large droplets of crimson blood. It bellowed again. This time a challenge.

Rinoa couldn't move. She just stared at her rescuer. The only thought going through her stunned brain, Why did he save me? He wanted to kill me! Without looking at her, Squall spoke softly. His voice was totally different from what she had heard just a few days before. There was no anger or hatred in it. It sounded like a more mature version of the boy she had once known.

"I heard what you said. Apology accepted."

Squall moved slowly forward, a small smile finally forming on his lips. At last! A real challenge. At the same time the combatants charged. The T-Rexaur lashing out with tooth, claw and tail. Squall striking with his sword at every target that presented itself. Rinoa was amazed. This was so much like the last time she had seen him fight. Only this time, he was winning. She had only seen videos of groups taking on the T-Rex, and not doing anywhere near as well as this single man was. She watched the deadly ballet totally enthralled with what she saw. His words echoed through her mind as she watched.

As the battle raged on, Squall took the time to discard his duster, tossing it to Rinoa for safe keeping before pulling his sword out of the ground and charging back in. Rinoa watched amazed that he had avoided injury for so long, when the beast's claws connected with Squall's chest ripping his shirt to shreds. Squall merely sliced off the rest with his sword, disregarding his wound. Rinoa saw the smile on his face. She was struck suddenly by the attractiveness of this man. She knew that she had had feelings for the one that had died; she finally admitted that to herself. She had not seen the same attraction in the new Squall, but something about him had changed. He was again an attractive man. She gazed at his well-toned body, at the muscles as they flexed with exertion and blushed, embarrassed that she would notice that while he saved her life.

The fight had gone on for what seemed like hours, how long it really was Rinoa didn't know, and Squall didn't care. At long last, with a mighty swing up, Squall cut open the belly of the tired monster. It roared in pain and dropped to the ground, twitching and still alive, if just barely. Squall, did something then that stunned Rinoa as much as anything he had done since saving her. Squall bowed to the dying monster.

"Great beast, I thank you for that honorable fight. Please harbor no ill will for me in the next life, but be proud to have died as a mighty foe. Be in peace!" Squall saluted with his blade.

The beast blinked its eye, apparently understanding the meaning if not the words, and died in peace, its shade placated. Squall turned back to Rinoa, a strange look on his face. One she wasn't sure was a good thing. Rinoa found the change chilling. She started to cry again. All the pent up emotions came pouring out. She was clutching his duster, still sitting where she had fallen. She saw the gashes on his chest and realized the price he had paid to save her life.

Rinoa felt shame at her life. All the things she had done. Every way she had tormented people came back to her and clarity that none of the others she had been mean to would have tried to save her life. But here was the man whose death she had caused in one way or another. The emotional pain of her actions caused tears to fall from her eyes. She placed Squall's duster on the ground next to her, and got on her knees, head bowed before him.

"Squall… I am so sorry! I am so sorry! I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I ask that you look past my transgression against you as I try to atone for it and show you how sorry I am." She kept her head bent, tears running down her face in shame and fear.

Squall stood where he was, he observed this woman on her knees before him. Squall had seen her fighting but had kept his distance as ordered. He watched as she was struck by the rampant T-Rexaur. He had felt a sort of savage pleasure about what was about to happen. Until he heard what she said. Few people lied with their dying breaths. Rinoa had been certain she was about to die alone, so he had no cause not to believer her. But it was more that just the words of her cry. It was the tone.

Squall felt something that he hadn't felt for so long. Not since he had died. A whole range of emotions came flooding back. His soul felt fuller that it had since that day. For the first time since his resurrection, Squall felt alive. Not just alive, but he felt the love he had for Rinoa come back as if nothing had ever changed. He couldn't let her die. With a speed born of desperation to save something precious he ran from his hiding place and intervened.

Squall could see several scrapes and cuts from when she had been knocked to ground while trying to retreat from an area she knew she couldn't handle. This striking creature before him had thought of him before her death. All the coldness that had over shadowed his life lifted. The foul, malignance of his rebirth lifted leaving him free once again.

Squall grabbed the ripped remnants of his shirt and tore then into strips. He knelt down in front of Rinoa and gently grabbed her arm. She flinched visibly; witch was understandable when one considered what his last touch had done. The testament of his force still shadowed her face and neck, though the marks were healing well. Slowly and carefully he bandaged her cuts, not speaking. She kept her head down, not looking at him. He let his eyes wonder while his hands worked. They ran over her curves, making him blush after he realized what he was doing and concentrated again on his task.

When he had finished, Squall picked up his duster and put it around Rinoa's shoulders. She finally looked up at his face and saw the blush. She was confused at first, but then realized what he must have seen and blushed as well, thought she felt flattered. Despite all this she still had not moved. He considered her carefully. He had something he desperately needed to say, but it was harder to do than he had ever imagined.

"Thank you Rinoa." He looked at the ground as he knelt with her.

"For what?" was the soft reply.

"You gave me back something that I feared was lost to me forever. You gave me back what had been left on the other side. You gave me my heart back. Thank you." He continued to look at the ground. Fearing what she would be thinking. "Lets get you checked out at the Infirmary." He said. It wasn't what he wanted to say, but he didn't think he could say anymore at that moment.

Rinoa looked up into Squall's face. The expressionless face that she had found so horrifying had been replaced by something completely different. She could see the depth of feeling that had been so absent a few days before. She looked into his blue eyes and saw what she had been missing for four years. Without thought she collapsed into his chest. Holding Squall tightly against her and cried again. She was gratified to feel his arms encircle her as well.

"Thank you." She murmured.

Squall nodded, "I'll take you to the infirmary." And with that he picked her up with ease. Squall shifted her slightly, picked up his gunblade and handed it to her. Squall held her close and felt her snuggle into his chest.

Squall worried that the smell of their blood would attract a lot of problems, but surprisingly they did not encounter any. They remained silent all the way to the Infirmary, where the night shift nurse was reading a book. As the two entered, the nurse immediately pressed the call button for the doctor, having seen blood dripping off of Squall. Rinoa didn't even notice that she had his blood on her. For the first time in years she felt safe. The doctor's room was not far from the Infirmary and rushed in, sleep still evident in her eyes.

The doctor took one look at the girl, her head down, eyes red from crying. The bare chested young man, his sword leaning against the wall, with angry wounds on his chest, yet no pain touched his face. The first thought had been that Rinoa had ignored her advice and had gone after Squall. She could not see Rinoa's petite form beneath the duster that Rinoa held closed and feared for the girls safety, but could not help but start a rebuke.

"Rinoa, what did I tell you…"

Rinoa interrupted her. "Doctor, I was in the training area and lost track of where I was. As soon as I realized I had wondered too far back alone, and started to retreat I was attacked by a T-Rexaur. Squall saved me."

The doctor was taken aback. She must have heard wrong. "You were attacked by a what? He killed a…?"

"A T-Rexuar doctor. Please treat Squall's wounds." She sounded close to tears.

The doctor softened her demeanor. She didn't know if this story about a T-Rexuar was true or not, but she did see how concerned this young girl was over her rescuer. The doctor moved towards Squall, who held out a hand to stop her.

"I must insist that you check Rinoa for further injury. The beast hit her from behind with its tail. There may be serious damage there. If you can just point out the disinfectant to me, I will clean my wound and be on my way."

"There is no need for you to clean it yourself, the nurse will do that. But when she is finished I want you to stay the night here while we run some tests for infections."

"The tests will not be necessary. Please worry about Rinoa. I think she has done more for me this night than I have done for her."

Rinoa was very confused by the first statement, but this was pushed from her mind when he said that she had done more for him then he did for her. She had been concerned about the chest wound since he had received it and could hardly believe that it was not bleeding profusely, nor could she believe that never once had a spasm of pain crossed his face. The doctor's earlier comment about him not being like the others came back to her now. Rinoa decided to ignore that for the time being. She was obviously not supposed to know the details.

By this time, the conversation had ended and the nurse was leading Squall back to a treatment table near where Quistis lay sleeping. The Doctor, touched Rinoa's shoulder startling the young women.

"Lets take a look at you dear. Squall was quite insistent that you be checked."

The doctor helped Rinoa out of the duster and had her climb up on the table while the doctor drew the curtains. Rinoa took off her shirt so the doctor could see her back. An angry welt that Rinoa had not felt since her rescue, seared as the doctor lightly touched it making Rinoa gasp in pain. The doctor let out a noise like a stepped on cat, though Rinoa couldn't see why, she was the one in pain.

"I'm going to need to take some X-rays. I'll need you to remove your bra, the clasp will burn you if you don't. I'll make sure Squall is facing the other way. Sometimes I wish we had a bigger facility, especially since I have a mixed patient base." Rinoa recognized this as an attempt to lighten the mood and smiled appreciatively.

The doctor stepped around the curtains and moved to where Squall was laying face up. The disinfectant on his chest stank worse than usual. When she looked at his chest, the wounds were half the size they had been. Squall's eyes were closed, but he knew what the doctor was staring at.

"It has been like that since my resurrection. I'm tougher than I look." He laughed quietly, amused by his own predicament, just a few hours earlier, nothing in the world had been funny. This made him laugh even harder. He was soon doubled up on the bed, gasping for air.

Rinoa hadn't heard his remarks but heard the sudden out burst of laughter. It startled her at first. Enough so that she grabbed Squall's duster and wrapped around her for modesty and went out the curtains to find out what was so funny. The sight that greeted her started her chuckling as well. There was Squall doubled up on his side laughing with the doctor staring at him like he had totally lost it.

Squall started to calm down his laughter, letting out only an occasional bout as he tried to regain his breath. He saw Rinoa standing nearby, holding his large duster closed over her self. She was trying not to giggle. He didn't understand this at first but started laughing loudly again when he saw that the doctor's expression was the cause of her laughter. Squall let out a roar of laughter as the doctor got an exasperated look and turned back to Rinoa who was now letting out the occasional snicker.

"Honestly, you two. Squall, if you can laugh like that, then you can sit on the bed and face the other direction so I can take some X-rays of Rinoa." She was sounding very cross.

Still laughing Squall nodded and sat up, facing away from the equipment the doctor needed. He took some deep breaths, letting the pain wash over him and pass as the wound continued to heal itself. Squall closed his eyes and attempted to meditate while the doctor examined Rinoa.

The doctor took several x-rays from various angles so that she could get a clear picture of what had happened to Rinoa. The doctor studied to results for several minutes before coming to a conclusion.

"It looks like you may have some soft tissue damage to your left kidney, dear. I'm going to need you to stay overnight. Here, put this gown on and take the bed next to Squall. Now I want you too to get some sleep. It will be morning in a few hours and I will need to run some tests on both of you." This last part was said load enough for Squall to hear, breaking his concentration. He just waved to show her he understood. With a final "hmmph" she left her office and returned to bed.

Rinoa put the gown on and was happy to see it was not one that left the back open so that she could sleep on her stomach. Her back would be far too sore to lie on anytime soon. After putting the gown on and laying on her stomach next to Squall, she turned her head to look at him. Squall sat still meditating. The wound now even smaller that it had been a earlier. She smiled as she stared at him.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Squall said opening his eyes and turning towards her.

Rinoa laughed. "Squall I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about…"

"Rinoa," he interrupted "you have already apologized. I forgive you." Squall swung around so he could lay on the bed again and lay on his back.

"Not what happened years ago. I wanted to apologize for pointing my weapon at you. I don't know why I got so mad. I know you had every right to treat me like you did and I just snapped." She looked like she was going to cry again.

Squall sighed. He was not proud of his behavior the other day. "Rinoa, its ok. I should not have reacted the way that I did. I struck you and I am ashamed of that. Tell you what. How about we start with a fresh slate."

"What do you mean?" the puzzlement evident on her face.

Squall smiled at her. The smile that had warmed her heart so long ago. "Hi, Rinoa. Its been four years right? How have you been? What has happened?"

Rinoa's smile could have lit a city. "Squall! It is so good to see you. I have really missed you." She caught on quick. "Things haven't been good without you these last four years. I'm afraid your friends did some pretty bad things to people. Without you they became arrogant and cruel." It still pained her how she had been, but Squall's forgiveness had pushed the darkness back to reveal the bright spirit that had always been there. One that delighted in the truth, even if it wasn't the most pleasant.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope that my other friends will be as happy to see me as you are. I have missed you too, Rinoa. You kept me strong and I fear that without your influence I became less that I should have been."

The room had darkened automatically, for which Rinoa was grateful. The blush was back in her cheeks. She thought again about what he had said a few days earlier, while he had her gripped by the throat. _This surprises you? That Squall loved you?_ They remained quite for a minute.

"Squall?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you mean what you said. That you loved me all those years ago?" Rinoa moved her head so that she wasn't looking at him.

"Rinoa, when I was brought back to life my Master NORG, it was well after the normal time limit for bringing back the dead like we can usually do with a Phoenix item. In my case, a Phoenix item would not have helped anyway. In part it was NORG's magic that tore my heart away as they tried to bring me back." Squall took a deep breath as he stared at the ceiling. "What I am trying to say Rinoa is that it was my continued love for you that came back in the Training Center. That was the only emotion strong enough to have lasted enough in this world to allow all of my soul to return. I love you now Rinoa, just as much, maybe even more than I did four years ago. As long as your heart belongs to Seifer I would rather have not said, but I know you deserved an answer to your question."

Rinoa, let the tears she had been holding back run. These weren't tears of sorrow though. For the first time since before her mother had died, Rinoa cried in joy. Despite all that Squall had been through, he was still the same man. He refused to interfere in his friends relationship.

"Squall, I haven't loved Seifer for a long time. I'm not sure what we had was ever love. Even though we have dated for a long time, the most that we have ever shown our feelings was with a kiss. I think after you died, Seifer and I had both reevaluated our feelings, even if we weren't aware of it. Our togetherness had suffered a malingering existence ever since."

"What do you mean?" Squall turned to look back at Rinoa, but she was still looking straight ahead.

"I think that when we first got together, it was because of a mutual crush. Nothing any more serious than that. At times I wanted you to make an effort for my affection because I wasn't sure which of you I liked better. After you died, I realized that I cared more for you than I had admitted to even myself. I think that your death shook that 'puppy love' out of both Seifer and I. He just has not been the same ever since. Kind of like he has a dream for his future, but not one that I am apart of, but he didn't want to leave me because of what had happened." Rinoa finally turned and faced Squall.

"I love you too. I'm sorry that it took me so long to figure that out." She smiled at him.

Squall held out his hand and took Rinoa's when she held hers out as well.

"It doesn't matter how long it took. I'm happier to know it than I thought I ever could have been." Squall reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his ring with the lion crest on it. "This is Griever. He is a symbol of strength. I want you to wear him. I outgrew this ring years ago, so it should fit your finger well. He will protect you when I am not at your side and will keep you safe until I arrive."

"A GF?"

"Griever is a very special GF. He only comes out to fight for the one who loves me. I could never call him for myself."

They fell asleep holding each other's hand.


	5. Chapter 5: The Path We Choose

CH 5: The Path We Choose

Irvine Kinneas and Instructor Xu stood in Cid Kramers office. They were waiting for the Headmaster to finish with his aspirin and let them know their orders for the day. He had summoned them both so urgently they feared for what it might mean. Cid had drank too much the night before while talking to Garden Master NORG. He reminded himself stiffly that he would not do that again.

"Xu, Irvine. I am afraid that I have an order to give you. One that might be hard to follow. Xu, you are to find Squall and have him report to the entrance to the Fire Cavern. Irvine, you are to take up position on the hill about half a mile from the entrance, and take Squall out."

Xu and Irvine looked as though they had been struck dumb. They looked at each other and then back at the headmaster, not daring to believe what they were hearing.

Xu spoke first. "Headmaster, you cannot be serious. Squall is our best SeeD candidate! Not to mention he is still considered a hero to most of the student body that knew him four years ago!"

"That would include me sir. I'm not sure I could follow through with this order." Irvine spoke with quiet strength.

"Damnit! I know all of this! Do you think this is easy for me? I have watched that boy grow up from the time he was brought here from the orphanage. He is like a son to me, but I have to think of the good of the other students. He nearly killed Seifer just with a kick! I don't know when Quistis will be released from the infirmary, and Rinoa is convinced he will kill her if given a chance!" He was yelling the whole time he spoke these words.

There was a load knock at the door.

"Come in!" Cid yelled at it.

Doctor Kadowaki opened the door, timidly. Cid sighed heavily.

"How can I help you doctor." He sounded worn out from his outburst.

"I came up to talk to you about last nights injuries. Is this a bad time?"

"What injuries?" Cid no longer sounded tired.

"Rinoa was brought in last night, she was hurt pretty bad. She was carried in by Squall."

"I ORDERED that boy to stay away from her. How badly did he hurt her?"

"Sir, Squall had saved her life and had almost lost his again doing so. The wounds he received from the T-Rexuar that had almost killed Rinoa were terrible. Even with his… special… circumstances, they could have proved fatal. That was not the same Squall that had arrived here a few days ago. He seemed much like he had been before he…"

"Squall saved her?" The doctor nodded. Cid collapsed into his chair stunned. "Are you sure they are ok with each other?"

The doctor smiled. "When I went to check on them this morning, Squall and Rinoa had fallen asleep holding each other's hand. I am fairly certain they are ok." The doctor reminded Xu of the cat that had just eaten the bird.

Before anything else could be said Irvine spoke up. "Sir, I must respectfully refuse your order. I will accept whatever disciplinary action that you deem appropriate."

"No need for that Irvine. I withdraw the order. You are dismissed. Xu, Doctor, would you stay a few minutes. I would like to speak with you both." Both women nodded and Irvine left the room.

"Xu, I am going to need you to tell NORG about this new development. This should brighten his day considerably. Also, I am going to need you to observe how Seifer reacts to this as well as Quistis once she is up again. Am I right in assuming that she would not have known what was going on last night doctor?" Cid was looking better by the minute. Ordering the execution of a student and then being able to withdraw the order didn't happen everyday and the decision had weighed on him.

"That's right headmaster. She still has a concussion and her mind just isn't focusing at the moment. She should be better by the end of the week. I can't find any indicator that this would be permanent."

"Very well. We may have to arrange transfers for the other two, maybe to Trabia Garden. Anyway, go head and carry out your new orders Xu. Oh and before I forget, instruct the guards to allow Rinoa to see Seifer, but only for a few minutes. We don't want to cause any problems. Doctor I want you to send Rinoa and Squall up to me as soon as you have determined that they are well enough."

The women saluted and left the office. Cid leaned back in his chair. That had been too close. Things were going to be getting worse. Galbadia Garden had sent him a notice saying they might need his support in keeping Garden free of Galbadia soldiers. This was a time when they needed all the help they could get. Killing a potential Commander of SeeD would not have started this tense situation off right.

The doctor made her way back to the infirmary and noticed that her patients were finally awake and talking about what had been happening over the last few years. Rinoa was currently telling Squall about the way she had started acting after the incident. The doctor felt that this would be a good time to interrupt.

"Rinoa, Squall? After I give you two your checkups you are to go up to the headmaster's office. When you are done I want you both back here so that we can start the tests to see if you are able to take the SeeD exam on Saturday. Squall, since your shirt is already off and doesn't appear to be offending Rinoa's decency, I'll check you first and then you can wait outside like a gentleman for me to finish Rinoa's exam." The two students smiled, almost guiltily.

Squall lay still while the doctor probed what remained of what had been gashes across his chest. Now they were nearly closed but had left faint scarring. The doctor covered what was still open with gauze and handed him a white shirt from a nearby drawer. This happened more often that the staff liked to admit.

"I'll just wait outside then." Squall smiled at Rinoa and walked out the infirmary door, closing it behind him.

Rinoa stood up and removed the gown, careful to pull it away from her back and winced when it touched despite her efforts. Rinoa couldn't see the doctor which probably was for the best since the doctor cringed when she saw the mark on Rinoa's back. It was an ugly dark purple welt that ran from her left hip to her right shoulder. The doctor moved and got some topical anesthetic and gently rubbed it in, numbing the welt almost instantly, causing Rinoa only a sharp twinge before the pain was deadened. After applying this, the doctor helped Rinoa put on another of the white shirts, but instructed her not to even attempt wearing a bra until further notice. The doctor didn't want anything touching the welt if it could be helped.

Shortly thereafter Rinoa left the infirmary to see Squall standing against the outer wall. He smiled widely as she came out and moved to her. Rinoa hugged him tightly as he put an arm around the back of her head. One place he knew it was ok to touch without causing her more pain from the wounds she had accumulated. Rinoa looked up and saw the scar running down from his forehead and down the left side of his nose. She traced it lightly with her finger.

"How did you get that?"

"I got caught in an argument with a T-Rexuar. He didn't like the conversation I was making and decided to give me a souvenir of the occasion." He smiled down at her. "I think he was just jealous that I could make multi-syllabic words." He whispered to her.

Rinoa laughed and so did he. They moved off down the hall and made their way to the elevators. Other Garden students were moving between classes. Those who had heard about what happened the Friday before gave them queer looks seeing them walk hand in hand to the elevators. Once in, Squall pressed the button for level 3. It was a short ride with the two in silence, just enjoying each other's company. Once the elevator stopped, they walked together to the headmaster's door and knocked. They heard the call to come in and entered.

Cid was behind his desk, masking his pleasant surprise to see them hand in hand. He couldn't let them know that he was pleased. Not yet anyway.

They stopped and released the other's hand long enough to salute and stand at attention. Cid watched them for a moment longer. These were his best SeeD candidates. He hoped this would not break them, but only time would tell. With all of the concentration that he could muster, Cid imbued every word with cold rage.

"Squall Leonhart. You deliberately disobeyed a direct order to avoid all contact with Rinoa Heartily. Yet here you are with her. I gave you very specific orders to not even be in the same area as she was. What do you have to say in your defense? Be aware that what you say may be cause for a Court Martial. That is a option that is looking very good for me at this moment." Cid was breathing heavily. Rinoa was looking scared, but stayed at attention. Cid saw her left hand brush Squall for comfort. Squall returned the gesture before speaking.

"Sir, had I obeyed your orders Miss Heartily would have died. She is important to me and was not worth losing over obeying that particular order. She will make an excellent SeeD and is my dearest friend. By safely recovering Miss Heartily, I feel justified in the action that I took. If you so choose to proceed with a Court Martial, I will of course defend my stand. However I would rather resign with my dignity intact than let it be tarnished by an organization that would have you abandon your friends in the face of an enemy for no larger value than the excuse of 'Following Orders'."

Rinoa was shocked by his tone, as well as his words. That her life meant that much to him, to even give up his dream of being a SeeD Commander by being insubordinate with a superior made her heart swell.

Despite the charade that this was supposed to be, and despite that this was exactly what he wanted to hear, Cid could not help but to become truly angry over Squall's insubordination.

"Young man! Where do you get off talking to me in that manner?" Cid's voice was dangerous now.

Rinoa grabbed Squall's hand and spoke before he could.

"Sir! If my well being during training is of such little consequence to this facility for you to Court Martial or Discipline Mr. Leonhart for disobeying a direct order, disobedience caused because of my foolishness in the first place, I will be forced to resign and inform the General about this action with my recommendation to stop the support of all Garden institutions on grounds of improper management."

Squall gripped Rinoa's hand. Cid was red in the face, and had started to swell. It looked as if he would soon burst. Both students prepared for the onslaught.

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A/N: Due to a recent change in my work schedule, I will be holding off on chapter 6 until thursday, probably. Seven and eight should be up this weekend. Thank you to all those who have read this story and are keeping up with it. Reviews dont matter to me, I am just gratified that others seem to be enjoying reading this as much as I am in writing it.


	6. Chapter 6: The law of Unintended Con

CH 6: The Law of Unintended Consequences

Dreams are such delicate things, Rinoa thought. She and Squall had had the same dream since they had come to Garden. Rinoa had started coming to Garden after her mother had died. The General knew that he could not provide well for his daughter in the state he was in, and didn't want her upset being in the same house where her mother had been murdered. It had become too much for the nine year old, with all of the neighbors constantly asking if she were alright.

The General had seen this upset her and had talked to her about going to Balamb Garden. The Garden furthest away from their home in the capital of Galbadia. Despite his position within the government, the General knew how valuable these independent mercenary forces were and supported them behind the scenes financially and with technology when ever he could. After their talk, Rinoa had agreed to attend Garden, coming home in secret for a few days over the summer to spend time with the General, and then going to their property in Winhill to spend time with Angelo and her mother's parents.

When she had first started at the Garden, Rinoa knew nothing of the SeeD mercenary force. But once she had talked to the Instructors and they had told her of the SeeDs, Rinoa knew that she wanted to be one of the Elite and command SeeDs. It had been the start of the term and Rinoa made friends with Quistis Trepe almost at once. They had become the best of friends and did everything together. It was a few months later when they had met Seifer Almasy and his best friend Squall Leonhart. It was obvious to Rinoa and Quistis that the two had known each other long before coming to Garden.

Squall had started Garden at the same time with his best friend Seifer. They had been sent to Garden from the Orphanage when they were nine. All of the Orphanage kids who weren't adopted by the time they were nine were sent to one of the Gardens. The friends had been happy to be sent to the same one. They had met when Squall had been dropped off by an old man who said Squall's parents where dead and he couldn't be bothered to take care of the then five year old Squall. Seifer had already been living there since he was 3 and so had no recollection of ever not being in the Orphanage. Squall had never mentioned his previous life and had soon forgotten all about it.

When they had come to Garden, Squall had much the same experience as Rinoa. He had talked to the instructors about his future and they had told him about the SeeD forces. From that moment on that was all Squall wanted. To command SeeDs.

As the four grew, it became obvious to their instructors that they could be the greatest SeeDs that any garden had ever had. All four were intelligent and highly motivated. They were chosen for the SeeD candidacy class by the age 12. The unraveling of it all was planted one year later when one of the four died. And now that he was back, just when Squall and Rinoa had found each other and wanted to pursue their identical goals together, it had all come crashing down.

They had been yelled at. Squall for disobeying a direct order and insubordination and Rinoa for insubordination only. Cid had been furious that Squall would speak to him in that manner. Squall had only been honest that Rinoa meant more to him than Cid's order to stay away since it meant she would die. Neither of them knew that Cid had wanted Squall and Rinoa to get close, as it was the only way to completely bring Squall's soul back from the land of the dead nor did they know that the telling off was only meant to see their commitment to each other and their dreams.

Cid had underestimated them and now…. Now he regretted trying to employ this deception to test them. It had gone so horribly wrong that Cid did not know what to do. The event replayed over and over in his mind.

_Rinoa had just told him in no uncertain terms that she would resign as well if Squall were punished for saving her. Cid had yelled at them. Letting both know exactly what he thought of their insubordinate attitudes and making it clear that if they continued in this manner they would NEVER be Seeds. Cid had thought that threat would put them both back in line. That isn't what happened._

_Squall had squared his shoulders. "I will save you the time, headmaster. I resign. I will not put your petty orders ahead of my friend."_

_Cid was dumfounded. Petty orders? He saw the squeeze that Rinoa gave his hand._

"_As shall I. I resign as well. We will be leaving for the Generals home as soon as we have removed our belongings from the dorm rooms. Good day!"_

_Then both had turned and left, hand in hand before Cid could say a word._

This was not how it was supposed to go, Cid thought. I lost my temper over such a trivial matter and now my best SeeD candidates are gone. They would have been the best to command our mercenaries in the coming times, but I have prevented that from happening. I must try and get Xu to get them to reconsider. To offer my apologies. I don't dare try and do it myself. All this went through the headmaster's head in the few minutes since they had walked out. Pressing a button on his desk, Cid called Xu up to his office to explain the situation. It would take them both some time to collect their things and say their goodbyes. He had time. At least he desperately believed that he did.

Rinoa and Squall were in the elevator on their way down to the first floor. What they had done had sunk in and they were holding onto each other for support looking pale. They decided in a quiet conversation that they would see the doctor first and make certain that Rinoa was ok to travel to Deling City. Once she was cleared, they would gather their belongings. Say goodbye to their classmates, and leave. Rinoa had enough money to buy their train tickets and they would spend some time with the General until they could decide where to go from there.

They reached the infirmary and entered in quickly, not wanting to talk to anyone else. While Rinoa went to the doctor's office, Squall went over to Quistis. He wanted to tell her he forgave her everything and apologize for what he did. He knew she probably couldn't understand him, so wrote it all down and left it with her, as well as his and Rinoa's decision to resign. It broke his heart that he had done this to her, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

Rinoa had entered the Doctors office and forced a smile to the doctor.

"Doctor, I need to know if I am well enough to make a long trip."

"Has the headmaster sent you on a mission?" Doctor Kadowaki said as she stood from behind her desk.

"No Ma'am. Squall and I have resigned in view of the twisted views of this Garden. We will go to the General's and make plans from there. I just want to make sure that I don't have another worry during our train ride."

"What? What do you mean you resigned? Twisted values?" the doctor was flabbergasted.

"The headmaster yelled at Squall for disobeying a direct order to stay away from me, even if it meant my death. Squall told him what he thought of that so the headmaster brought up insubordination. I told the headmaster what I thought of his values. He threatened us with Court Marital, we resigned. Could you please tell me if I am ok to travel?" Rinoa really did not want to get into it with the doctor. She and Squall had a lot to do so they could leave.

"Well, I wanted to run some tests, but by what I have seen so far, you should be okay to travel. I will give you some of that topical anesthetic I gave you earlier. You can have Squall apply it. Make sure he wears gloves when he does or his hands will go numb for hours. Just be certain to see a doctor in Deling, OK?"

"Sure thing. Thanks for everything doctor!" Rinoa said as she took the tube of anesthetic from Dr. Kadowaki.

The doctor watched as Rinoa walked over to Quistis where Squall was, lean over and whisper in the woman's ear. Then, after Squall grabbed their weapons and his duster, they were gone. What have you done Cid? She thought. She shook her head then went to Quistis to check on her other patient.

Squall wrote a letter for Rinoa to give to Seifer, as only she had permission to see him and then left to find Irvine, Zell, and Selphie. The only others that they both considered friends so they could say their goodbyes and perhaps get some help with packing. It was about lunch time, so Squall headed to the Cafeteria.

Rinoa was explaining hurriedly to Seifer about the return of the Squall they knew and her rescue by his hands in the Training Center. Seifer was amazed and took Squall's letter with a shaking hand.

"Seifer, you and I both know that our relationship has really been over since months before Squall died." Seifer nodded, afraid to say anything before she finished. "I have come to realize that although I care for you, I love Squall. I know you have a dream that doesn't include me in it. We will always be friends Seifer. Go after your dream." Rinoa looked up at her blond haired friend.

"I wish we could have said these things sooner Rinoa. We would have saved each other much pain and maybe Squall would not have died. I need to write to him. I won't be out of this for awhile yet." Seifer started looking for pen and paper while opening the letter.

"Actually that is the other thing I needed to tell you. Bad things happened between Squall, myself and the headmaster. Squall and I have resigned. I don't have much more time; the guards said I only had five minutes, so I can't give you all the details I would like to right now. I will right and tell you everything. Squall and I are leaving today for Deling. We are going to spend some time with the General. Take your time, read the letter, then respond. We will be there for sometime and the post usually only takes a day to reach the General's place."

Seifer stood open mouthed for a minute then nodded. "Take care of your self Rinoa. I will write you soon." He gave her a hug and waved her out the door.

Squall had found the three he was looking for in the Cafeteria. They all looked frightened that he was approaching them. If circumstances had been different than what they had turned out to be, Squall would have laughed. As it was, he was in no mood for laughter at the moment.

"Irvine, Selphie and Zell. How are you guys?" This was clearly not what they had expected. Well, maybe Irvine had. He didn't flinch as much as the other two. He knew at least a little about Squall's current state.

Squall explained to them quietly about his true rebirth and how he remembered them from years before. He also gave them a rundown of what had happened in the last couple of hours.

"So basically, Rinoa and I have resigned and are leaving the Garden today. You three are the only ones we really consider friends and wanted to say goodbye and see if you would mind giving us a hand packing." Squall finished his 10 minute explanation just and Rinoa walked in. She sat down and put her arm around Squall. Selphie and Zell did double takes.

"Hi guys!" Rinoa said cheerfully. She laughed at the looks on their faces. It wasn't the sadistic laugh they had all come to know over the years, it was her laugh of genuine pleasure and startled them even more. After she had calmed down a bit, she continued with what she was going to say. Squall was still snickering. "I want to apologize to you guys for the way that I treated you. I haven't been a very good person over the last few years, but now that Squall is back I realized what was wrong and am determined not to do that again."

Squall gave her a squeeze and chuckled at the others continued gaping. Squall decided that it was time to press the issue a little further and see if they had help or if this was just the goodbyes. Either way he wanted to hurry. He had a bad feeling about staying for much longer.

"So, can we count on your help?" Squall said to them. Rinoa looked eagerly at each one.

Selphie answered for them all as she recovered the fastest. "Of course we'll help. Glad to have you guys back if only for a little while!"

"Thanks Selphie, I really appreciate it!" Rinoa reached across the table and gave her a hug. People were starting to look awkwardly to their table. This was not something anyone of those present thought they would ever see. Rinoa Heartily hugging Selphie. It was just too weird for them.

Squall stood and helped Rinoa to her feet and the five of them left the cafeteria followed by the stares of the entire room. Squall laughed thinking about it. It wouldn't be long before the whole Garden knew that they had resigned. That would cause an uproar. Rinoa asked him what he was laughing about as they neared her room. Squall just responded with a 'Wait until the garden hears about us' remark. Rinoa caught the humor and laughed with him.

As soon as they reached Rinoa's room, Selphie and Rinoa set to work getting her belongings packed. Squall handed Rinoa her launcher and gave her a quick hug before taking Zell and Irvine with him to his room further down the same hall. It was much easier for Squall as that he had not fully unpacked yet. Squall decided to pack away his duster and pulled the pliable scabbard for his Gunblade out of the special spot in the duster and attached it to his waist. His weapon was immediately at his waist. Two boxes and two suitcases later, the three men were back at Rinoa's Room. She had much more and decided it would be best to send most of it home through a shipping service.

Squall, Irvine and Zell carried what packages were done to the front gate, where Zell stayed to watch them, while Irvine and Squall went back to Rinoa's room. She had finished packing amazingly fast with Selphie's help. The four of them carried the remainder of the belongings down to the front gate where Zell was waiting. They stood and talked among themselves until the Taxi Van arrived. They loaded everything into the back and gave their goodbyes. The words were sparse after so long of not really knowing each other.

Squall and Rinoa climbed in and headed into Balamb a 20 minute drive away, just as a hassled figure came running towards the front gate, yelling for them to stop. However by that time it was far too late for them to hear.

She bent over as she reached the startled looking Zell, gripping his shoulder for support as she breathed heavily. "Burn those two. I was sure they were going to be caught up packing and talking to the doctor for at least another hour. How did they get packed so fast?" Xu thought she already knew the answer but decided to risk the question anyway.

"They asked us to help Instructor. They told us they resigned and were intent on catching the evening train to Deling." Selphie said sweetly.

Xu swore something at odds with the physical laws of nature that made Selphie blanch and Irvine and Zell burst into laughter. While Zell and Irvine laughed themselves stupid and Xu glared at them, Selphie recovered her composure enough to ask Xu why she wanted to catch them.

"I was supposed to convince them to stay. The headmaster regretted greatly what was said and wanted me to make his apologies. This is not going to be pleasant." Xu started back towards the Garden. Once she was out of earshot, the others talked about what was just said.

"I don't think an apology would have convinced either of them to come back. From what Squall said, the headmaster's attitude was well beyond the realms of the expected. Just downright rude and insulting." Selphie said during one of her more lucid moments. Zell only nodded. Irvine looked up at the sky and thought to himself, If only you knew what the Headmaster wanted me to do today. If Squall had known, what would he have done? Then another thought struck Irvine.

"If what was said was bad enough to convince those two to resign, maybe we should leave too?" Irvine shared his concern with his best friends. They could only give Irvine the blank look he felt was on his own face. Things had just become far too confusing.

By dinner that night, the entire Garden knew that Squall and Rinoa had left and why. Although he wouldn't admit to it. Many people believed that this information came from Seifer though they couldn't fathom how he had gotten the message out of his room. No one even asked the guards if they had done Seifer the small favor of delivering a letter to the biggest gossip in the Garden. Squall's quick letter had allowed Seifer to figure most of it out. The weight of guilt that Seifer had carried for years had finally lifted. Now he could live his dream. Even if that meant leaving the Garden, he would pursue it.

Cid was talking to NORG. Neither had counted on this happening. It had never even entered into their thoughts that those two, of all people, would resign rather than be disciplined for doing what they felt was right, even if Garden Rules said they were wrong.

"What went wrong NORG?" Cid couldn't get his head around the problem.

"The Law of Unintended Consequences. We pushed in the wrong place and landed on our faces." NORG said nothing more.

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A/N: As promised, chapter 6. Special thanks to Astraea Eris for those kind reviews. I hope that this chapter has not disappointed. It looks like I will be able to get chapters 7 and 8 up ahead of schedule, so look for those over the next couple of days. Things should start to pick up story wise soon, so please keep reading.


	7. Chapter 7: What Lies Ahead

CH 7: What Lies Ahead

There were definite advantages to being a General's daughter when using a Galbadian shipping company, Squall noted as Rinoa's and his belongings were carted away marked for shipment by overnight express and done so for free. With one less worry on their minds, Rinoa and Squall moved ahead to the Balamb train station.

After paying an exorbitant amount of 3000 Gill for their two tickets to Deling City, they boarded the train and found their cabin. Squall sat on the couch, closing his eyes. He knew what had happened and now it was starting to be real for him. He let out a sigh.

"Do you regret what we have done?" Rinoa asked quietly, still standing by the door.

Squall didn't open his eyes at first but smiled. "No, I don't regret resigning. If that means the end of our dream of SeeD then, well, we will have to make a new dream wont we?" Squall opened his eyes to see Rinoa's warm grin.

"That's good. I am glad that you don't have any regrets. Neither do I." She slumped into the couch next to him. "It sounds like you already have a plan for a new dream."

Rinoa waited expectantly, but Squall just smiled sweetly at her. She punched his shoulder. "Well?"

Squall couldn't help but laugh. She just looked so eager to hear this plan. He decided that it was in his own best interest to tell her when she looked ready to hit him again. "Ok, Ok. Hold your horses. Well, what is it that you and I always wanted to be, generally speaking?"

"That's easy, SeeD commanders."

"Well, yes and no. What we wanted to be were hired mercenaries that could tackle any situation and do it with others that we trusted with our lives." Squall stood and started pacing back and forth in front of her.

Rinoa thought about this carefully. Hadn't it always been being a SeeD and not just a mercenary? No, she thought, not really. It was just that SeeDs were the most prestigious and expensive of the mercenary forces. Not only that, but they only accepted contracts that fit with their value system. So really, Squall was right. She wanted to help others, albeit by force and getting paid for it, with the ones she had trained with and trusted. So, what is his plan?

"Ok, yeah. That is exactly what I wanted. What does that have to do with our current situation?"

Her silence for so long had begun to worry him, but when she came to the same conclusion that he had, Squall was much relieved. "Our dream doesn't have to die." Her expression became skeptical. "Think about it Rinoa! We were on track to be the best SeeDs that Garden had seen. I know that we are stronger than some official SeeD. Sure we may not have their GFs but what does that matter? So I cannot wield Shiva or Ifrit, so what? There has to be more GF in this world than what they have. Take Griever for an example! And even if there isn't, we don't have to use GF to be excellent fighters and strategists." He was becoming more excited as he continued.

Rinoa just could not follow what he meant. How could they continue their dream and not be SeeDs? "Did you hit your head when I wasn't looking?" She sounded disbelieving, but it did not quell Squall's enthusiasm in the least. He laughed instead. He stopped pacing and knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his.

"We could start our own mercenary group! With your father's support with funding and equipment, at first any way, we would pay him back as quickly as we could, and with our being Garden Trained, we could land independent contracts where using a SeeD was impractical or more hassle than these people felt it was worth. I was once able to see the number of requests for SeeD when I was in Cid's office years ago. He even told me that they only respond to 10 of the requests, just because there aren't enough SeeD to go around!"

A manic gleam had come into his eye. And Rinoa had to admit, that the idea had great merit. Of course they were more than capable to handle missions, even difficult ones. Squall could probably handle missions alone that a team of three or four SeeDs couldn't. And with her help, they could take on a lot of missions and contracts. Plus they would be able to choose their clients and everything. This was sounding better and better.

"Squall, how on earth did you come up with this? Not that I'm complaining!" Rinoa said quickly.

"While we were riding in the elevator after our sudden resignations, I knew we would need to do something and was angry about SeeD, and to be honest was trying to think of a way to hurt their reputation more than anything. Then this came to me. A way that we could do what we had always wanted to do, and at the same time hurt the Garden's reputation. I mean, how does it look for a Garden when two SeeD candidates resign? Not just resign though, but start competing for business?" He sounded sheepish about his wanting at least a slight revenge on the Garden for the way it was run considering what had happened over the last 48 hours.

Rinoa squeezed his hands that were still holding hers. "It's ok Squall! We had put so much faith in the Garden and it treated us poorly. We'll allow the reputation of our Elite Mercenary group do the humiliating while we stand quietly aloof."

"You are a devious woman Miss Heartily. What am I going to do with you?" Squall got up and sat next to her, placing his arm around her shoulders and drawing her against him.

"For now, just stay with me. We should get some sleep. If I know the General, he is going to interrogate us forever when we get there. Of course you will get the greatest brunt of his temper. Leading his innocent daughter away from school and all." Rinoa lay against his chest.

Squall laughed. "In that case I will be prepared. Go ahead and take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch."

"Is that what you really want?" The question had deeper meaning than the words showed. The meaning was not lost on Squall.

"Rinoa, I love you. I love your spirit, your heart and your mind. I love everything about you. I will not force anything on you. In fact, when it comes to our relationship. I would much rather that sleeping together happened after we were married. I do not mind sleeping on a couch, knowing that you are comfortable and not pressured into doing anything. We have time and we have each other. That is all that matters." Squall rubbed her shoulder as he said this.

"Thank you Squall. I was afraid that, well, you wanted more than this and I was just not comfortable with giving it." She bit her bottom lip. "Did you say married?"

Squall laughed again. The sound made Rinoa giddy. "Rinoa, my love, you need to get your sleep. How is your back? Do you need to put some of that anesthetic on?"

He was avoiding the question, but he had a point. Even if Rinoa didn't like it. "My back is alright for now. I'll sleep on my stomach again so if it does start to hurt, I wont have any pressure on it." She stood and stretched before walking over to the bed. She saw that it had multiple blankets and threw the top one over to Squall. Afterward, she lay down and, with her thoughts on Squall, fell asleep.

Squall watched her for an hour. The train had started moving shortly after she had gone to sleep and hadn't woken her up. Squall enjoyed watching her so much. He felt complete just by being in her presence. He didn't need physical intimacy to know she loved him, and for her to know he loved her. Squall promised Rinoa quietly that she would always know he loved her without it. After this, Squall turned off the lights and went to sleep.

For the second night in a row, Rinoa's dreams were not the troubled nightmares that they had been. When she woke, she felt better than she had in a long time. She lay on her stomach with her eyes closed just enjoying the morning. The gentle sound of a train moving down the tracks, and Squalls even breathing were the only noises to great her this morning. Rinoa thought to herself that she wished she could take a shower this morning but that would have to wait until they got to the General's home.

She started to think about the General. She hadn't seen him since the beginning of the summer vacation last almost nine months ago. They hadn't spent much time together since Rinoa's mother had died, and though she loved her father, she felt she didn't really know him and so always referred to him as the General. She wondered if this would change anything but she doubted it. That opportunity to be close to each other was probably gone forever. But that was ok. Rinoa had a new love in her life.

Rinoa thought back to the night before. Squall telling her that he loved her and wanted to respect her above everything else. Well, that wasn't what he said aloud, but she knew that is what he meant. Rinoa was not naïve. She knew so many students at the Garden engaged in promiscuous behaviors, despite the severe penalties for being caught and knew that she didn't want to be one of those. It really made her feel good that Squall felt the same way. She would be safe with him.

The train began to slow, and an announcement came blaring over the speakers in the car, that they had arrived in Deling City. The abruptness caused Squall to jump and fall off the couch. Rinoa, who had been watching him the whole time, burst out laughing. Her back gave a twinge of pain, but it didn't faze her in the least. Squall lay there too startled to even curse.

"Wow, I haven't slept that good in years." He glared up at her, "You are just loving that I ended up on the floor, aren't you? Well for that, you will pay!"

Squall leapt off the floor and began to tickle Rinoa mercilessly. Her laughter intensified until she was gasping for breath, at which time, Squall sat back on the couch, running his hand through his hair. Rinoa lay there for another minute breathing heavily. When she finally was able to breath normally again, she got up and sat next to Squall, giving him a hug that he returned though with care because of her back.

"Shall we get going? We'll want to reach your father's before our belongings do. I am not sure that I want him to see my belongings along with yours before we have a chance to tell him what has happened."

Rinoa sighed. That was true enough. The general would have a fit and assume she was pregnant. This thought was all the motivation she needed and soon after the train had stopped they were hurrying to the bus stop. After the train tickets, Rinoa was happy that Deling City public transit was free.

They couple caught the number eight bus that had a stop right in front of the General's mansion. During their trip they discussed what they would need to do to start their own mercenary organization and, once they realized that they would need the General's help, the best way to entice him into helping. By the time they reached the Caraway Mansion, they felt that they had everything planned out and were ready to present this to the General upon arrival.

They got off the bus and took the time to stretch from being cramped in the small bus. As they walked up to the mansion arm in arm, Rinoa suddenly regretted the advantage of being a General's daughter and using a Galbadian shipping company. All of her and Squall's stuff was being carried into the mansion and the General was looking at them with a glare that could have cut stone. It was the first time that Rinoa heard Squall curse, though it was far too quite for anyone but her to hear.

As they got to the door, the General spoke two words to them, "Inside, NOW!" Squall let his arm drop from Rinoa's shoulder. She took him by the hand and led him into the sitting room, and pointedly sat on the couch holding Squall's hand. It occurred to Squall as he sat there waiting for the General, that he may just die a second time. Especially considering that Rinoa was wearing her tight shorts still and the loose white shirt from the infirmary, he was wearing a similar shirt but at least had pants on, and both of them had very messy hair. This was going to be ugly. Squall groaned. Rinoa gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

Predictably, once the moving people were out of the house and the door had closed, the General entered the sitting room and started in on them. Well, started in on Squall anyway.

"Just who are you and how did you get my baby into this situation? How you talked Rinoa into sleeping with you, you little grease ball, and got her pregnant…"

"Daddy, I'm NOT pregnant," she shouted. The General stopped with his mouth still open. "If you would relax for ONE minute, we will tell you what we are doing here. To start, this is Squall Leonhart. You remember me telling you about him."

"You told me Squall Leonhart died!" the General said pointedly.

"Well, that is a yes and no type situation sir." Squall fielded this one. "I died, physically speaking, four years ago but was revived somewhat successfully by Garden Master NORG. I then underwent some… Special Training… away from Balamb Garden. In reality, part of me was still in the land of the dead until about 48 hours ago when your daughter managed to bring me back." Squall paused for air and Rinoa jumped in before the General could say anything else.

"Originally we weren't getting along when Squall first reappeared and Squall was ordered to avoid me at all costs. I went into the Training Center and got into a, how did you put it Squall? Oh yeah, a disagreement with a T-Rexaur. Squall was there and saved my life against orders. After spending the night…" Here the General interrupted.

"So you did sleep with him!"

"IN THE INFIRMARY! Would you let me finish my sentence before barging in!" She yelled taking the general aback. "As I was saying the next morning, yesterday actually, we were ordered to report to the headmaster who proceeded to yell at Squall for saving me and threatening him with a Courts Martial. I told the headmaster what I thought of that and he yelled at me to. So we resigned citing a conflict of values and left the Garden." Rinoa was slightly red from rushing through the story and having to yell to be heard.

It seemed that the General had a one way mind and it was having trouble changing the tracks. "So you haven't slept with him?"

"Oh for the sake of all that is good and holy, NO dad. I am still a virgin and content to stay that way until married. Squall feels exactly the same way!" Rinoa, though angry, blushed at saying this to her father and had trouble meeting the two men's eyes afterwards. Squall broke the silence.

"She is right sir. I love your daughter and because I love your daughter I would never ask her to do that out of wedlock. Some of us 'kids' DO have morals." The last sounded like a rebuke, though the General didn't make an issue of it. Instead he did what Rinoa had never heard him do. He apologized.

"Rinoa, Squall. I'm sorry for acting this way. I should know my daughter better than to assume that she was…. Anyway," he shook his head to clear his thoughts, "thank you for saving my little girl. I couldn't have taken losing her too for no reason other than orders. I hope you presented your objections in a less insulting manner that you make it sound?"

"Of course we did dad." Rinoa spoke in a calming manner, assuring her dad that it was not a spur of the moment decision. "I think you need to withdraw your support from the Gardens."

The General frowned. "Rinoa, we need to have mercenary groups like SeeD. Things could become very complicated without them. You don't have any clue what lies ahead of us."

"Actually sir, we had another neutral mercenary group in mind for you to support." Squall's heart began to race as they came to, what he felt was, the real meat of the conversation.

The General's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean another mercenary group?"

"Squall is talking about our dream. To be a part of a mercenary group that fights for others who share the same ideals, mind you even if that is for money. Our dream of fighting together with others that we trust." The general was looking confused. "We are the group that Squall is talking about. We will form the core of a new mercenary group."

"Sir, our exit will have repercussions. There is no way that Cid and NORG can keep our leaving, let alone our reasons for leaving quiet. I firmly believe that we will have other Garden students looking for us once they know that the two best SeeD candidates have started a mercenary faction that holds true to the ideals that we were taught in Garden. This could work, sir."

The General started pacing around the room. What did this boy know of running a mercenary group? The financing alone would be out of their league. Not to mention how they would get contracts. The General knew that Rinoa was bright, and had to admit this young man that had saved her seemed to be intelligent enough to disobey orders when there was sufficient enough need and the circumstances made the orders obsolete. But starting a new mercenary faction? They most be mad or naïve.

"Squall, do you understand what is required to start this venture? The capital, equipment, the contacts for heavens sakes!" The General had to admit that the idea had merit if they could work these matters out.

"That is why we have come to you sir."

"I'm not sure that I follow you."

"Rinoa and I have been trained to fight and lead other soldiers. In the military, we could only hold the highest rank of captain, maybe because we just don't have the training to run the entirety of an organization. Our part would be to form the core of the group. To carry out missions, assign them to the most able people and see that the contracts were fulfilled." Squall's slow smile climbed its way on his face. "That is why we need you. You have the experience and knowledge in order to handle the fiscal and diplomatic end of things. While I was gone from the Garden I had the chance to hear many things and, forgive me if this is being forward, but you are do for retirement soon, are you not?"

The General could see that underestimating this pair would be a costly mistake. Their plan was well thought out and they seemed totally committed to it. How Squall had heard his retirement was coming soon, was beyond him. Supposedly only President Deling knew.

"Yes, I will be in six months. It was to be a surprise after Rinoa had joined SeeD, but…"

"Sir, I believe you to be an honorable man and I am sure many feel the same towards you in many countries. If they found out that a man like the Great General Caraway was handling the contacts for a new mercenary force, we would begin to have clients and the resources to pay back your initial investment and then offer you a salary to stay onboard."

"Besides, dad, what where you planning to do with your time off anyway? You know this is a good idea and could work out. We wouldn't want you to start being involved in this right now, so think it over. We have to do some planning on how to level our playing field against SeeD in either the GF or technological fields. We may end doing some traveling to different countries so that we can start figuring out how this can best be done. We'll be checking on rumors and such and can even provide you with some independent intelligence on what is happening around the world." Rinoa smiled smugly at the General.

The General stared in shock at them. They had thought of everything it seemed. He stood wordless just looking at the two of them, still holding hands and waiting expectantly for some reply. To buy some time, the general resumed his pacing, having stopped it during Rinoa's part of the explanation. The General thought carefully. They had merit and he had to admit that retirement really didn't appeal to him.

The opportunity to work with a pseudo-military organization without the bureaucratic red tape had appeal. At his age the money had little appeal for himself, but he did want Rinoa to live comfortably when she was ready to settle down. He found himself thinking of the kind of gear he could get for his daughter and her partner. All the kinds of things that the Military wouldn't buy for its own special forces due to costs, but any sane Mercenary Group would leap at.

Finally he stopped his passing and turned to them. "Okay. You have obviously got this well planned out. I'll tell you what. You do some, ummm, 'favors' for me, and I'll agree to help."

Rinoa was instantly on guard. "What type of 'favors'?"

His daughter's reaction pleased the General. "No need to be suspicious. I won't ask you to do anything against your ideals. There are just a couple of issues with escaped military convicts terrorizing the Winhill and Timber country sides. The people of those countries think that they are just bandits and Deling has not corrected the opinion. As a matter of fact I have the appropriate files in my office. You two would be perfect since you aren't part of the Galbadian military and so cannot be linked to me or this country. Exactly what mercenaries are for, wouldn't you agree?"

"You don't fool me old man." Rinoa said. "You are up to something; I can see it in your eyes."

The General laughed. "Of course I am Rinoa. A couple of things first: One, be careful these are very dangerous people; Two, I would like you to test out some gear I recently saw a report on. It's Estharian so it should be really good. Unfortunately neither of our countries seems very interested in keeping front line grunts alive longer than normal. Finally, it strikes me that this would be an excellent opportunity to start building your rep. Right now, I am just a client. We'll use Squall's name as the contact since you are known, Rinoa. Is that OK?"

Rinoa and Squall looked at each other. Squall smiled to her, letting Rinoa know that he would trust her decision on this. She was his partner and the love of his life after all. "Alright. How long before the gear arrives? We'll want to let our friends back at the Garden have a general idea when we'll be around. We expect some of them to come soon, though probably not until the end of the school year."

The General thought about it. Probably not for another three, maybe four weeks. All the company had was a single demo model. I'll arrange for a couple of Field Test models to be sent here."

"Sir, if I may, I think you should have the request be made through our mercenary name from my personal account. I own a small property on the outskirts of Winhill that it would be sent to." Squall was deep in thought after his little speech. It would be perfect. Start their reputation now, ordering gear from a company that could see them as good future customers now might come in handy later.

"Squall, when did you get property in Winhill? How?" Rinoa was looking at him oddly now. It struck her how little she knew of the last 4 years he had experienced.

"Well, long story cut short. I ran across an old acquaintance from my time in the orphanage a couple years back. She was moving from Winhill to Esthar and gave me her property. Said she didn't need it anymore and that it brought back some bad memories."

"So who is this mysterious woman?" Rinoa tried to hide it but Squall could see a tint of jealousy in her beautiful brown eyes.

"Her name is Ellone. I guess Ellone Loire now. She was kind of an adopted child to Laguna Loire. He left her at the orphanage so she would be safe while he helped the Estharians overthrow Queen Adel. She was like a sister to me there." Squall reassured her with a gentle squeeze of her hand.

"Laguna Loire? As in the President of Esthar? That Laguna Loire?" The General stared.

"That's him. I have never met the man, and to be honest I was not in much of a state to be a polite acquaintance, Ellone knew what happened to me and understood and kept Laguna from meeting with me." Squall smiled shyly at Rinoa, reminding her that he was himself again because of her.

"Why would he have wanted to meet you?" It didn't happen often, but once in awhile, the General and his daughter would say the same thing at the same time. This was one of those rare occasions and provided a unique side of their relationship, as their tones were identically curious.

"It was the disagreement I had with the T-Rexaur. It didn't appreciate my rescuing its lunch." Squall shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of father and daughter.

Rinoa reached out and touched his scar. "So that was when you got this?"

"That was the time. Ellone decided that it was safer back in Esthar and had had enough of the monsters still roaming around the Winhill area and the pain they had caused. I didn't ask. So…. Back to our original topic of conversation. I'll give you the address and then we can arrive in Winhill the day before the shipment is due to arrive and that way we are already in the area to handle the 'favor'." Squall was still feeling uncomfortable. Neither of the others had blinked yet and it was starting to disturb him.

Squall said a silent thanks when the door bell rung, calling the others attention away from him. The General gave Squall an odd look and then went to open the door. Rinoa placed her hand on Squall's cheek, turning his head so he would look at her. Her deep brown eyes looked into his blue ones. Squall felt his breath catch in his throat.

"You are so beautiful!" His words were barely a whisper in the stillness of the sitting room.

The simple heartfelt words turned Rinoa's cheeks red. "I love you Squall Leonhart. Now and always."

Squall's mind was pure chaos having this angel saying those words to him as she looked in his eyes. They closed the small distance and kissed. All further thought was banished from Squall's mind. He was in heaven.


	8. Chapter 8: A Painful Past,

A/N: This is not the original direction that this story was going to take, but after several days consideration, I like it. The emotions and words said in the last chapter were going to have a greater impact on this chapter and though that is no longer the case they will be more important with where this story is heading. On a side note; Thanks for the reviews Richard Lioncourt. I assure you that you have not heard the last of Ellone!

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CH 8 A Painful Past, A Beautiful Future

Heaven lasted only a moment, but Squall still could not think when the General walked in a few moments later, telling them he had to go take care of a few matters and would be back late that night.

"You probably will want to shower and there should be plenty of food in the kitchen for breakfast. Rinoa, Squall can stay in the guest bedroom down the hall from your room. Be good and I love you." Then he was gone.

Rinoa looked back at Squall who hadn't moved and apparently had not heard anything the General had said. He had a very dazed look on his face and his eyes weren't focused. Rinoa became worried.

"Squall? Squall, are you alright?" Rinoa shook him gently. With a jerk, his eyes focused back on Rinoa.

"That was my first kiss."

"And, how was it?" Rinoa was grinning.

"Amazing!" Squall's eyes unfocused again for a second before he looked seriously at Rinoa. "I love you Rinoa. I love you more than anything in this life or the next." Squall pulled her into a tight hug. Rinoa hugged him back.

"Squall, what happened while you were gone?" Rinoa said as they separated.

Squall sighed. He knew he had to tell her some of what happened. He wasn't sure that he could take telling her about everything. He knew it really wasn't fair for him to hold back though. She had said she loved him and he had told her how much he loved her. It was an issue of trust, he thought. I do trust her don't I? What should I say?

"Squall, please tell me. You trust me don't you?" Her voice quivered.

That question hurt a lot because it was right on target. Squall knew he would tell her everything. Eventually anyway. She deserved to know.

"After the… incident… I was told I would be receiving some training away from the Garden. I felt that this was alright and readily agreed so I wouldn't be around you guys, but you know how I felt then already so I won't harp on it. I was sent to the Centra Continent to an old laboratory that had been fixed up. Before I could ask any questions they had injected me with a tranquilizer." Rinoa's face became grave. "They needn't have bothered. I would not have objected, but…. So after I was awake, they began to run some tests on me and inject me with different chemicals, always asking to see how I felt afterwards. After that stopped, they started knocking me out for the test and when I would awake, they would have me exercise."

"This went on for three years. After my speed and strength had more than doubled, they sent me out on 'missions', but these were really just tests to see how well they had done. It was pretty grueling and I'm sure, now, that if I had had my heart, I wouldn't have gone through with those things. Really it doesn't matter since all is well now. Off and on over the years they would have me train with a different Gunblade specialists. I think mostly because they killed the one that I had worked with before. These were all non-SeeD mercenaries so they probably didn't care about them."

"I'm really not sure what else to say. They did a lot of radical experiments on me, that much I can tell. I don't know how much of me has been altered by what they have done and I am afraid to find out. Before, I didn't care. Now I have a reason to care and that makes it so much more frightening. I am not even sure if I am human any more." Squall had started rambling. He couldn't find anything meaningful to say but couldn't stop talking.

Rinoa placed her hand over his lips. She smiled sweetly at him. "Squall, I don't care what they did to you. You are human because you can love me. Monsters don't feel love. I love you now as much as I did 10 minutes ago. And I will only love you more, no matter what. You have had a painful past. Let's work on having a beautiful future."

"My future will be gorgeous as long as you are in it Rinoa. You are the only meaning I have left in this life. The only thing that was worth coming back for." Squall pulled her hand away from his face long enough to kiss it and put it against his cheek.

"Come on Squall. I will show you to your room and then I will take a shower. You can take one when I am done. I know that there is probably more to your story, detail wise anyway. When you are ready to tell me about it, I will be all ears ok?" Rinoa stood and helped Squall up as well.

"As soon as I can, I will. I promise you. Right now, it's just that I don't want to admit it to myself. Please understand." Squall had such a look of desperation in his eyes, that Rinoa couldn't hold back the tear that made its way down her cheek.

"It's ok Squall, I do understand. I'll listen when you're ready and be right here in the meanwhile. Come on, let's go upstairs." Rinoa gripped his hand tightly and led Squall up the stairs.

They went to the second story. Rinoa pointed out which rooms were which. She showed him the bathroom, letting him know that they would have to share it since only the Master Bedroom had a bathroom connected. She then took him to the guest bedroom, and was surprised to see that the General had had Squall's belonging put in there. She supposed that, when he figured she was pregnant that Squall wouldn't be going anywhere. The thought made her chuckle lightly.

Squall didn't know why she laughed but it really didn't matter to him. Squall pulled Rinoa around and kissed her gently. It felt so good. So right to kiss her. Rinoa wrapped her arms around Squall's neck, deepening the kiss. After a few minutes, they released. Rinoa smiled sweetly up at Squall who couldn't help but grin.

"I'll go shower now. Try to stay out of trouble till I get out." With that, Rinoa was out the door. Squall just stood their grinning for a few more minutes. He had remembered being shown a technique years before that would allow him to take an attack for someone, but hadn't really cared at the time. Squall swore to himself that he would do everything he could to master that skill now.

Rinoa was drying her hair. She kept smiling suddenly and forgot to continue what she was doing. Squall was her beautiful future. They both had had a rough last four years. Admittedly he had a rougher time, one that still made her want to cry when she thought too much on it. It felt so good to be in his arms. It felt so safe.

When she finally finished her shower Rinoa remembered that she hadn't brought any clean clothes into the bathroom with her. After she wrapped the towel around herself, and checked the hall was clear, ran to her room. After dressing in a light blue shirt and black jeans, careful about her back which was still a nasty sight, left the room to check on Squall. She heard grunts coming from the room and opened the door without knocking. Squall had his shirt off and was in the middle of a pushup when Rinoa came in. Both turned bright red and Rinoa retreated out the door quickly yelling that the bathroom was all his. She then retreated to her room, slamming the door.

Squall remained frozen in his position, mid-pushup, for a second before standing up. That was unexpected, he thought to himself. Shrugging it off, Squall grabbed a clean shirt from his belongings and went to shower.

After he showered and dressed, Squall was ready for breakfast. He hadn't eaten since he couldn't really remember when. It was still only 11 am so Squall knew that he and Rinoa had a long day ahead of themselves putting the finishing touches on their plans. There was still so much to do. They would need to make some decisions quickly so that the General could order the equipment in their name.

Squall moved down the hall to Rinoa's room and knocked. All he heard was silence. Confused, Squall continued to knock and called Rinoa's name. Still no response came. Puzzled, Squall turned to go back down the hall and downstairs when he clutched his chest in surprise. Rinoa was standing behind him, grinning. Squall mumbled some choice curses that resulted in Rinoa hitting him in the chest.

"Watch you language around the ladies." She giving him a vindictive grin.

"I won't when they sneak up behind me. You could have said something." Then he noticed the type of smile she wore. "Hey! Just remember that you are the one that walked in on me! Don't go getting even for something that wasn't even my fault." Squall knew it was a mistake as soon as he had said it. His faced paled and expression drooped. Rinoa was livid.

Though what he said was true, Rinoa was still angry that he would turn the tables on her like this. She saw his face fall and would have found it funny if she wasn't so angry. She turned to walk away from him and ran right into his chest, nearly falling down but was caught in his arms.

Squall held her tight to himself. "I'm sorry Rinoa. I didn't mean for it to sound like that. Forgive me?"

Rinoa pushed away from him and looked up at his anxious face. The words already forgotten. "How did you do that?"

"Oh." Squall let go of her and leaned against the wall. After a minute he slid down the wall until he was sitting. His hands went up to his face, rubbing it as he tried to rub the sudden memories of the laboratory from his mind. He started speaking, telling her what he had seen then without realizing he was talking.

"The first experiments that they did to me were to increase my speed. The first thing they did was to inject chemicals into my muscles and spinal cord. These were supposed to increase the speed of my nervous system and allow my muscles to be able to react with the same speed. They were able to increase the synapse fire rate by 20 times. Taking my speed to a level where I could actually blackout from my own movement."

"To compensate for that, they started doing injections directly into my brain to increase the amount of stress my neural pathways could take before shutting down. At first this seemed to work, but as more stress was put on, I would start blanking out large sections of time where I would do some pretty destructive stuff. I think that at one point I even ended up killing one of the research assistance. No one said anything but I remember them before the blackout, but never saw them again after I came to."

"I guess they eventually got the mix right, because I stopped blacking out but from then on, I would demonstrate the results in a sealed room, alone. It seemed like I was always alone. I started to wonder why I would have ever wanted to get close to anyone because everyone always left me in the end. By then though, I had already become a stone." Squall fell silent. He kept his hands over his eyes. The memories of the daily injections and looks that he received. He remembered the assistant he was sure he killed. She had been the nicest of them all. She had been a short, blonde woman who had tried to treat Squall as a human, instead of the lab rat the others seemed to see. His chest ached, his head pounded. Tears ran down Squall's face behind his hands.

Rinoa had knelt in front of him, watching him as he spoke. Pain shook every syllable of Squall's story. Her words had triggered a painful memory. One that he spoke of, though he didn't really sound aware of doing it. She watched as tears dripped off his chin. What could she do for this man? She loved him, and wondered how she could help him. Instinctively, Rinoa moved so she was next to him and pulled him to her. Holding him while the memory swept through, protecting him from the pain in the only way she could. By providing the love he so desperately needed now.

"It has been kind of strange. Ever since I was brought back, I have been able to heal very quickly. I never really thought about it until now. I was able to heal quickly before they started those experiments on me. That's probably the only reason that I survived them." The pensive air around Squall was almost palpable.

"It doesn't matter Squall. Things are going to be okay. You and I will fulfill our dreams together, no matter what may come. Like you said, ours is a beautiful future." Rinoa continued to hold him.

"Actually that is what you said. I believe I said that my future would be gorgeous as long as you were in it." This finally seemed to snap Squall out of the memories and into the present. A very pleasant present, being held by Rinoa and all.

Together they stood and moved downstairs to the kitchen. They started to make their breakfast, which consisted of cereal, and sit down to discus their options at this stage. Squall thought it would be best to start with their mercenary group details but Rinoa beat him on the startup by bringing up their friends and what they would do.

"We should write Seifer, Quistis, Selphie, Zell and Irvine and tell them what we are up to. We also need to tell Seifer what happened to make us resign." Rinoa said in between bites.

"We don't need to worry about telling Seifer what happened. I put enough in that letter to him that he would have worked out the rest for himself. But we should at least let them all know that we are starting our own mercenary faction and let them know they are welcome to join us. But we should tell them that they can't for awhile." Squall finished up his breakfast and washed the bowl in the sink before sitting back down across from Rinoa.

"Hmm, okay. So we don't need to tell Seifer exactly what happened, and I'm sure he'll Quistis what happened." Rinoa too finished and washed her bowl. "Why don't we want them to join us until later?"

"I just think it will have more impact once they join an established organization that is directly competing with Garden for contracts. Plus I want them to actually be SeeDs before they leave. It will be more of a blow. We should tell them at least that much. It could give us some good insights into what the Gardens are up to while we do our thing. Plus I think it would be best if we have already tested this Estharian armor and the other goodies your dad is arranging for us." Squall was smiling contently with his reasoning.

"Fair enough. It will give us a good chance to work alone together for awhile besides giving us time to find more ways to even the mercenary playing field." Rinoa tapped her foot in thought. "We need to come up with an appropriate name for our force. Otherwise we will sound like amateurs. Even if we are, we don't want people to think that right off the bat."

"Very true. Though I think I might have something. I thought that occurred to me last night when I watched you sleep." Squall considered the idea carefully while Rinoa waited with baited breath.

"So are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to beat it out of you?" Rinoa was slightly irked by his continued silence after bringing up the thought.

"Well, as you slept, it struck me that you looked like an angel." Rinoa blushed. "So how about _Seraphim._"

"What is a _Seraphim_?" She looked puzzled.

"_Seraphim_ is the plural of Seraph. _Seraphim_ are said to be angels that had three sets of wings. I bring up the wings because of an idea to present the Estharians that struck me while in the shower. If they could add some type of anti-gravity device that looked like three pairs of wings to the armor, I think that we could level the playing field a whole lot more." The manic glint was back in his eyes. It was joined by one in Rinoa's.

"So, we really would be angels. Heightened mobility, survivability, as well as being very familiar as angels of salvation or death. I like it. But we should present the idea so that the wings retract or fold. Otherwise they may get in the way." This sounded like a great idea.

"Exactly! Here, let me grab something so that we can list what we want done and other ideas that we have. We'll present this to the General when he gets back tonight and then tomorrow you and I have some training to do." Squall looked around for paper and pen before sitting back down. Rinoa was looking concerned.

"What do you mean some training?"

"I just know some ways of increasing your speed." Rinoa's face darkened and Squall realized how that must have sounded. "Not the way it was done to me. I learned some physical training techniques that would improve your speed and accuracy. Not as much as what happens to a lab rat, but I wouldn't want you to go through that." Squall hurried to amend his first statement. The relief in Rinoa's eyes was apparent.

"Okay, Squall. Actually, maybe there is a way that the Estharians can increase our speed with the suits as well. Well, mine at least. I don't think we would want to increase yours any." She placed her hand on his arm. Squall smiled.

"Too true. Ok, so let's get started. I have listed the armor modifications, did I miss anything?"

"Nope, it looks like you got them dead on. I'm just wondering if we shouldn't modify our weapons to keep up this _Seraphim _thing."

"Modify our weapons? How do you mean?" Squall was looking worried about where this might go.

"No need to worry. I was thinking along the lines of like an engraving or that kind of thing of a wing on your gunblade. Maybe change the color from black to blue or something. But I might have an idea for a total refit of my launcher. Here, let me see the paper, I'll start a sketch while you start thinking of ways for us to train and where we will be needing to go over the next few weeks." Rinoa paused, pen above the paper. "Actually, me may want to start looking into those files. I'll go grab them."

A short time later Rinoa was back with the files. Squall was looking though them to decide the best way to tackle these 'favors' while Rinoa worked out a redesign of her weapon. They worked in a comfortable silence. Both doing their work, happy to be near the other while doing it. Time seemed to fly and before they realized it, lunch had come and gone without them eating, as did dinner. They continued to pore over the documents until the General got back well, after nightfall.

The General was understandably curious that they were still working, late into the night. It wasn't something he would have done as a teenager, but something they seemed to be enjoying. He walked into the kitchen and cleared his throat, startling them out of the conversation on tactics that they had started, trying to decide which person or group to deal with when and how.

"You guys look like you have been at this awhile. When was the last time you ate?" The General laughed at the blank faces that stared at him. Apparently it had been awhile since they had eaten. "Ok, so let's get some food."

"Sure thing dad. But while we eat we want to go over our decisions with you. We have some special request for the armor you talked about and I am going to need some supplies to do some weapon modifications." Rinoa and Squall started preparing some sandwiches for the three of them.

Soon the three were eating and discussions were in full swing about the needs they had and how best to meet those needs. It was well past midnight when they finally stopped. All three very tiredly made their ways upstairs and fell into bed. The General was proud of his daughter's work on this and could see how determined she was for them to be successful in their venture. She and Squall would make a great team. He could see that. Content that his daughter would be happy the General fell asleep.

Rinoa was excited for the next few days. Squall and she were going out to the surrounding countryside to work on some practice drills to get her speed up. They had written their letters to their friends, advising them on what was happening, their invitation to join at some future point and the request that before they do, they become SeeDs. It took Rinoa longer than the men to fall asleep, but when she did she slept contently.

Squall, just as excited to be training with Rinoa as she was, was far to tired to dwell on it and was asleep as soon as he hit the bed.

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A/N: Yet another authors note. This is not something that will hapen often, I promise. Just wanted to let any faithful readers know that Chapter 9 may not be up for a few days. I had it totally written but it mostly no longer fits with where this is going to go. I will put in some serious work on it this weekend and hope to have it up by Tuesday or so bye the latest. Chapter 10 will follow midweek. Thanks for reading.


	9. Chapter 9: The Favors

A/N: Okay, I know I said not until Tuesday, but I just got this finished and really liked how it turned out. So here is to three chapters posted in 24 hours!

CH 9 The Favors

Three weeks had gone by since they had left the General's house. Squall and Rinoa had decided to cross country to Winhill. It provided them ample opportunity to keep their skills sharp as they ran across the monsters that seemed so prolific in the areas they traveled through. The couple moved, hand in hand, taking their time as they were only a couple days away from their destination and the Estharian armor, among a couple of other things that the General had hinted at, would arrive at Squall's property in a week.

Rinoa had the documents her father had provided them on their targets in her back pack. They were well worn from the continual reading that they both did. They were so close to fulfilling their first contract, that Rinoa was excited. She thought she would be nervous, but after the week of special training that she had gone through with Squall, Rinoa was very confident in her abilities.

They continued on, running into the occasional monster, nothing really serious until they came across a T-Rexaur. It wasn't the full grown beast that Squall had killed a month ago, but it was still a dangerous creature, worthy of caution. Squall knelt down, motioning Rinoa to do so with him. They watched the monster for a moment, waiting to see if it would notice them or not. After a few minutes, with it still munching on its lunch, Squall leaned close to Rinoa and whispered in her ear.

"I think it is about time you try out that new launcher of yours. You have been working on it every night, so go get him my angel." Squall rubbed her back.

"Sweet talking won't get you out of trouble if this goes bad. You know that right?" Rinoa attached her latest modification to her arm. The launching mechanism looked similar to what it had been, but now it was designed to bring the weapon back like a boomerang. A boomerang that lad seven sharp 'angel wings' sticking out of the center hub. It looked almost comical, but Squall had no doubt that it could do some massive damage.

"I know, and will rush in the moment you give me the signal. Just remember to use the speed and accuracy drills that you have perfected over the last few weeks and I bet you'll be fine." Squall gave her a reassuring squeeze and she was off.

Rinoa bolted forward in a low crouch, dropping to one knee in time to send off a back-attack without the beast even being aware she was there. The spinning winged blade sliced through several tendons across the monsters back before returning to its owner. As soon as her weapon was back, Rinoa was moving. The monster bellowed its anger and lashed its tail at Rinoa, trying to knock her down and get the kill. The speed drills had really helped, Rinoa noticed, as she was able to dodge the attack without problem. Again Rinoa launched the weapon, aiming at its neck, trying for a quick kill, but it was not to be. The best turned, raising its arm to attack the incoming projectile but had its arm removed instead.

The pain the beast was in was almost as evident as its fury. This insignificant person had caused it so much pain. This time it charged her, hoping to get her before she could use her weapon again. Rinoa moved quickly to the side, gaining a scant few seconds as the beast turned and was after her again. This time she launched at its lowered head. With a sickening crunch, her blade lodged firm in the skull of the T-Rexaur, but not deep enough to kill it. Before anything else could happen, a spinning, gunblade with a blue blade, the modification that Squall had made to his gunblade, sailed through the air embedding itself deep in the monster's throat. The blood loss was so sudden and terrible, that the monster couldn't even bellow its anger or defeat before death took it.

Rinoa turned a grateful smile on Squall as he walked over to her. Stopping him long enough to give him a hug as reward for his quick actions. They turned to the beast and each in turn, with much effort, retrieved their weapons. This process took some added effort for Rinoa's blade as the creatures corpse seemed not to want to give up the offending weapon. Once they were cleared and cleaned, the weapons returned to their ready positions and the couple set off again, talking quietly.

"If your blade hadn't gotten stuck, you would have had it, no sweat." Squall gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Yeah, but it didn't work out that way, so thank you for not letting me get eaten." Rinoa returned the squeeze.

"You did great. Too bad it blocked that neck shot. That was perfectly aimed. But it was still good to deprive it of one of its weapons. Next time, it's all you though. I won't need to get in the way of your kill. Speaking of which, how is the back? I know the doctor in Deling said to just stay off of it and it would be fine, but how is it feeling?"

"Its much better. I still need to keep off of it for a couple more days, but then will finally be able to sleep on my back again. Its one thing to sleep on my stomach in a bed or on a couch but here on the ground, its not so fun." She smiled as she said this though. Squall had been letting her use is duster as a bed the whole time, and had lain on the cold ground. They had thought of getting pads to sleep on, but had decided against the extra weight. They would be using Squall's home in Winhill as a base, so they really didn't want to be burdened with things they weren't going to need all the time.

"That's good. When I looked at it for you yesterday, it looked much better. Now looks like a normal bruise instead of lasagna." The mention of food made both their stomachs rumble loudly over their laughter. They hadn't eaten since breakfast that morning and it was approaching noon. The found a secluded clearing and removed their bags to get at their food.

They ate in silence, watching the trees around them for signs of threat. It had been a awfully quiet morning. The whole time they had traveled today and had only come across the one T-Rexaur. They should have seen several monsters by now. And fought with every one of them. It made both wary. It seemed like fate was building up something in store for them. As they finished and were about to stand, a projectile resembling a harpoon came flying from the trees at Squall. A normal person would have been impaled.

Squall was not a normal person. With his unnatural speed and strength, Squall caught the offending projectile and snapped it in two. Rinoa was up with her launcher ready, waiting for a target to show itself. Squall's gunblade gleamed blue in the afternoon sunlight that came through the trees, as he drew it from the sheath on his back. Laughter rang though the trees. Followed by a deep voice.

"Well boys, it looks like we have a very talented couple walking through our clearing. Should we kill them? Or maybe we should make them pay the toll. Though the girl looks like she might provide some sport!"

The raucous laughter of several men came through as the 'leader' finished speaking. Several men came forward, all of them dirty and disheveled. The largest of them took an additional step forward and addressed the couple.

"So, what is it going to be? The easy way? Or the hard way?" His mouth split into a yellow toothed smile.

Rinoa recognized this man as one of the men they were to find. She looked over at Squall and saw the same recognition on his face. The bandits before them didn't seem to notice that they had been made. Squall looked into Rinoa's eyes. She mouthed one word. 'Mine.' Squall nodded. Rinoa grinned. Part of the contract was about to be fulfilled and she felt great.

Jumping to the side, away from Squall, Rinoa launched her winged blade out and behind the leader. The man laughed, thinking it was a clean miss. The laughter stopped when the return effect removed his head. As the blade returned, Squall had started moving. He ran at the person farthest to the right, slicing him in half with ease. The grisly work continued.

At first the other men fought in anger at what had happened, but as more blood flowed, they began to fight for their lives, but it was already too late. The last dropped in a desperate attempt to keep his life, but was unable to outrun Rinoa's aim. Neither felt guilt. They did what they were contracted to do. What they had committed to. After cleaning their weapons they checked the faces of the bodies against the files in Rinoa's bag. Writing across the appropriate file "Deceased" when they matched up file and body.

After completing this, the two continued onward. Running into more monsters once they past the bandits realm of influence. Soon the monsters would be back in the area, destroying all trace of the murderous men that had met the _Seraphim_.

A few relatively uneventful days later, the couple arrived at the outskirts of Winhill. Things had changed since Squall was last here. The monsters were staying a goodly distance away from the town, as opposed to roaming through it. Squall was glad that the town residents had finally been able to push back the monsters. He wondered how the village had been affected with by the roaming escapee prisoners. Most of which had formed bandit gangs. Maybe he would ask around.

"Rinoa, here's the key. I'm going to ask around about the bandit gangs." He held out a key for her as they reached his property.

"Actually, I have a better idea. I completely forgot to mention that I have relatives here. Why don't we drop off our stuff and we'll go visit them!" She sounded a little too happy about this.

"I'm getting introduced to the family right?" Squall had no desire to be, but would do it if she asked.

"Of course you are. Even if you STILL won't tell me what you meant that day in the train. You remember what I'm talking about since I have brought it up once a week for a month." She looked at him peevishly, tired of the question being ignored.

"I believe this makes twice this week. We'll talk about it once we are finished with these 'favors' for the General. I promise. We'll come back here, sit down and I will tell you exactly what I meant. Okay?" He rubbed her arms as he promised, looking directly into her eyes.

"Okay. But you are still meeting the family." She pulled him into a quick kiss before opening the door with the key. Squall knew he wouldn't get out of it and so accepted his fate.

After dropping off their belongings and securing the door, they walked into town. A few years before, it was not uncommon to walk through the town and every one had a weapon close at hand. Now, Rinoa and Squall received odd looks for having their weapons on them. They picked up their pace, and made it to Rinoa's grandparents without incident.

After they knocked, it was a short time before a woman that bore a similarity to Rinoa opened the door. Squall guessed that this must be Rinoa's mother's parents since she hadn't specified and since Rinoa really didn't look like her father. Introductions were made, Squall was embarrassed and then they moved into more important matters.

Rinoa told her grandparents about leaving the Garden and touched on Squall's role in it, though it was heavily edited. Squall preferred to remain silent about the story, letting Rinoa tell what she was willing to. They told her grandparents that they were there for a vacation before they looked for jobs and had heard about bandits in the area and wanted to see if that was true.

Rinoa's grandfather looked sad as he confirmed what they had heard. "Those bandits having been after the decent townsfolk as soon as they leave the village with any goods for trade. It may not show, but we are starting to suffer economically from these problems. The few shippers that have guarded caravans don't have any problems, but the rest of us tend to suffer."

"So they haven't tried to attack the town?" Squall hadn't spoken yet and surprised the elderly couple when he did.

"No, they are cowards. Only willing to attack those in few numbers and poorly armed. Unfortunately we don't have enough men to hunt them in force and keep the town protected. So we have settled on a strong defensive position as our best bet."

The grandmother looked at her granddaughter suspiciously. "You aren't going to try anything are you young lady?"

Rinoa gave her a disarming type of smile. "Of course not grandma. Squall and I are just here on vacation. We aren't going to stay around long enough to get into any problems. Probably just a few days, and then we're of to Timber and then Dollet. We're kinda doing a world tour before we decide what to do."

"Of course if things are too rough we're going to go back to Deling. No point in endangering our selves or others right?" Squall added, trying to relax the older people further.

"That is very true young man. And we expect you to keep our Rinoa safe." They continued to talk for a while longer, then as night began to fall Rinoa and Squall bid them goodbye and returned to the house.

"Do you think they're suspicious?" Squall said, laying down on the couch in the front room.

"Of course they are. But that is just the way things are in towns like this when your under threat constantly." Rinoa sat on the edge, and looked at Squall. "They seem to like you though."

Squall smiled at her. "Well, I suppose some one is bound to eventually." Rinoa hit him lightly before going into the bedroom while he crashed on the couch.

Things had been quiet in the village for the last few days. It made things easier on Rinoa and Squall, and kept them out of people's thoughts. Finally their gear had arrived, escorted by six private security guards. Once the gear was signed for, Squall and Rinoa carried it in and started opening boxes.

The first box Squall opened, be turned bright red. "Umm, I think this must be yours." He said as he slid the box across the floor to Rinoa. She was about to ask why until she saw what lay in the open box.

"I guess that explains why they wanted our measurements." She too turned red. "Don't you think this is a little form fitting?"

Squall refused to meet her eyes but shrugged. Rinoa couldn't help but laugh as he continued to open the other boxes. The next one had his chest piece in it, followed by leg other pieces that could only fit Rinoa. Once they had the boxes separated into two areas, each one corresponding to its new owner, Squall stood and walked towards the door.

"I'll wait outside while you try yours on." With that he exited the house.

Rinoa laughed again, and started taking the pieces out of their boxes and laying them in a rough order of where they belonged on the floor. She looked through the boxes, but couldn't find any type of documentation and decided that it must be fairly easy to assemble. So, wearing her halter top and tight shorts, Rinoa set to work putting on the strangely silver armor.

The foot and calf pieces pulled on just like boots, but felt more comfortable than any she had worn. Next she saw a couple of pieces that looked as though they would be the thigh plates, but couldn't see how they joined. Testing to see if she were right, Rinoa placed the plates on opposing sides of her leg. Nothing happened at first and then they snapped together. The armor shimmered for a second when a knee protector extended out of the top part of the thigh plate.

Impressed, Rinoa continued putting the pieces on, starting with the other thigh, then a mid-piece that finished covering her shorts, then her chest piece. It felt odd at first, but soon was the most comfortable thing she had ever worn, though on some level she felt that it hinted at her shape a little more than she would normally have been comfortable with. After putting on the gauntlets that pulled up past her elbows and putting the upper arm pieces on in the same way as the thigh plates, Rinoa only had her helmet left.

The helmet appeared to be a single piece that would easily slid down onto her head, and from the egg shaped opening, it would only go on one way. She started trying to decide what to do with her hair when she noticed that the back was cut away for her hair to continue to hang free. As she pulled on the helmet, power seemed to come to the visor, turning it into a visually enhanced screen with a large field of view. As good of a field of view as she had without the helmet. She saw a blinking light appear on her right arm and as she looked at it, she saw a picture of a wing.

Without thinking, Rinoa touched the wing and suddenly felt lighter. She looked down and saw she was an inch off the ground and screamed in surprise. Rinoa heard a bang as the door was thrown open and looked up in time to see Squall rush inside and stop dead staring.

Squall couldn't believe it. Here was his beautiful angle encased in silver, her raven hair visible from where he stood was in sharp contrast with her new skin. Six wings, luminescent white, spread from her back. Squall stood still, his jaw open.

Rinoa watched as Squall's eyes took her in and his jaw dropped. It was odd, hovering there looking at him gape at her. She was glad for the helmet as a pleased smile broke out on her face. As much as she wanted to stay there and be admired, she knew that would be rude and so touched the winged button again. As her feet touched the ground again, she ran to Squall, pure excitement moving her. What she didn't expect though was the increase in speed the suit gave her. Before she could stop herself, she slammed into him sending them both into the wall and leaving a hole in the plaster.

Squall felt like he had been hit by that T-Rexaur tale all over again. As tough as he was, that really hurt. Squall slumped to the ground as Rinoa hopped back from him, realizing what she had done, but hit her head on the ceiling from the suits enhancement of her actions. Plaster fell to the floor as she froze, afraid to move, but concerned about Squall.

"Squall? Are you okay? I'm so sorry! I didn't think that would happen!" Rinoa moved her hands to her helmet to remove it and almost knocked herself out from the force of her hands colliding with the helmet. She dropped onto her rump in surprise.

Squall looked at her in time to see her try and remove her helmet and get knocked flat. As much as he hurt, he couldn't help but roar in laughter. "Rinoa, stop moving. I'll help you get the helmet off," he said once he could draw enough breath to speak. Squall moved gingerly over to Rinoa and tried to pull the helmet off. It wouldn't budge. "It looks like I can't take this off you. Try moving slowly and see if you can take it off yourself."

Rinoa carefully moved her hands, slowly and deliberately, up to her helmet and pulled. The power turned off and the helmet came off easily. She breathed deep, and carefully set the helmet aside, not wanting to hurt herself or Squall again. She reached out to Squall, who flinched slightly but let her touch his face with her gauntleted hand. If felt so warm and smooth, like silk as it passed over his face.

"Well, that was an adventure. I can't believe I hit you that hard, I was just so excited that I wanted to grab you, not throw us into a wall." Rinoa stood and noticed she couldn't move as fast as she just had. "Looks like I only have the speed with the helmet on."

Squall stood up with her and took her face in both hands. "You looked magnificent. How is it to get on?"

"Actually it's fairly intuitive. I just started at the bottom and worked my way up. So I look good?" Rinoa grabbed both hand on the sides of her face.

"You always look good, but wow. Go see for your self, there's a mirror in the bathroom off of the bedroom. I'm going to lay mine out. In fact, you can just wait in the bathroom while I change. And no peeking." Rinoa laughed while she grabbed her helmet and went into the bedroom, closing the door on her way.

Squall went back and closed the front door, careful to check that no one had seen Rinoa. Walking back to the boxes, he started pulling out his armor. Deciding it would be best to just were some biker shorts, Squall quickly undressed and started suiting up. It went just as Rinoa had said, everything going in a logical order. Once he had all but his helmet on, Squall looked down at himself, amazed at how the armor felt like a second skin. Albeit a brilliant silver skin.

Placing the helmet on his head, Squall gasped in surprise when the visor screen lit up as it got power. Like Rinoa, Squall saw the blinking wing and, like Rinoa, decided to press it. He looked down as he rose an inch off the ground, feeling lighter.

"I bet that underneath that helmet is a surprised face, similar to the one I'm sure I had when I pressed that button. So, that IS what makes the wings come out." Rinoa was standing the bedroom doorway, helmet under her arm.

Squall pressed the button again and felt his feet touch. He moved across the room, pleased that he didn't have the same speed enhancements that Rinoa did. Focusing on his own abilities, Squall moved at a blur, stopping just in front of Rinoa, surprising her. He pulled the helmet off of his face so that she could see his smile.

"These are amazing. It feels so comfortable. Looks good too."

Rinoa giggled. "Not as good as you do in your biker shorts." Squall turned a bright red.

"I thought I said no peeking?"

"You did, but I figured after seeing myself in the mirror that you deserved the surprise. You didn't mention how suggestive it was." Rinoa crossed her arms, looking only mildly upset.

"I said you looked amazing, besides which you were fully clothed. And before I say anything that will get me into trouble, how about we sneak out of the village and test these puppies in a secluded clearing." Squall turned to walk outside.

"Hold on there tiger. Aren't you forgetting a certain something?" Squall looked at Rinoa confused.

She reached into the bedroom and grabbed his gunblade, tossing it to him. "This, perhaps?"

"Oh, right. Thanks, I guess I was just excited to see how these things work. Did you see anything in the boxes that looked like a scabbard?" Squall turned around to look back in the boxes but was stopped by Rinoa's touch on his back.

"Let me see that." She grabbed his gunblade from his hand and, keeping him facing away, placed it against an outline on his back. The gunblade stuck there, raised at just the right height over his shoulder for easy access. "Now that is handy. Looks good to, lets the whole blade be seen.

Squall reached back and gripped the handle, and pulled slightly. It came free easily, and returned just as well when he placed the blade on his own back. Pleased, he walked over to his clothes and grabbed his duster, tossing it back to Rinoa. "Hold this please." Rinoa rolled her eyes.

Squall carefully pulled his jeans over the armor along with a long sleeved shirt, after removing his gunblade.. "Don't want the natives to see this walking out of the house." Squall took back the duster and after consideration threw it onto the couch. He grabbed his bag and after emptying it threw his helmet in it.

"Good idea, I'll got put some clothes on and grab my weapon and bag. Back in a second." Rinoa walked back into the bedroom.

A few minutes later, looking as though they were going for a hike, the two left the house and moved off into the forests. They walked through, taking their time. There was not rush, they had never told the General how long it would take to fix the problem with the escaped convicts and so felt no guilt in spending time getting better acquainted with their new gear. Besides, what good was such high tech gear if you didn't know how to use it fully?

As they walked, neither said much. Both were locked in some deeper thoughts. Before they knew it, they were back in the clearing where they had run into the first casualties of _Seraphim_. Predictably nothing remained of their kills, which didn't bother either Squall or Rinoa. They stopped and looked around themselves, appreciating everything that they had.

Squall broke the moment first. "Well Rinoa, lets give these beauties a run through." The mischievous grin on his face told Rinoa all she needed to know.

Without taking their eyes off of the other, they dropped their weapons and their bags. They removed the clothes they wore, exposing the suits to the surrounding forest. They crouched slowly and removed the helmets from their respective bags. Without putting them on, both stood.

"Any rules you want to go by?" Rinoa's smile would have made any fighter blanch, but only caused an identical one to appear on Squall's face.

"No weapons, no wings, but no rules on speed. Agreed?" Her answer was a slight jerk of her head. The helmets dropped, the suits' systems activated and they moved.

Their speed was extreme. Any one coming across the scene would have only seen the reflected sunlight off of silver blurs. The sound would have frightened them off before they could have seen anything however. Neither was pulling any punches. They both wanted to know the extremes that this armor could protect. The thumps and sickening crunches of something, or rather someone, hitting a tree echoed through the still air.

After what felt like an eternity, but in reality was only a few hours, the couple stopped their pounding by dropping onto the ground next to each other by unspoken truce. Both hurt worse than they had ever, with the minor exception of two upset T-Rexaurs. They removed their helmets, breathing in the clean crisp afternoon air of the forest.

"You went easy on me, Squall." Rinoa accused with a hurt look in her eye.

"I would hardly call refusing to hit the woman I love in her already injured and still recovering back as 'going easy'. I promise that was the only consideration that I was making." Squall flopped down onto his back, looking at the sky.

Rinoa suddenly started to laugh. "How odd is a relationship when a couple pounds on each other for hours and then the woman complains to the man that he had gone easy on her. Then for the woman to be comforted to know that he hadn't. That strikes me as an awfully messed up relationship."

Squall couldn't help but laugh along with her. It was indeed an awfully strange relationship, but one that he wouldn't trade for the world. He didn't say that, but instead told her something just as true, but better put.

"It's a relationship built on mutual respect for the other, and although they care deeply for the other, they know they share the same dream and can do such odd things, without any loss of love on either side." Better put but still corny, he thought to himself.

Rinoa's face showed how corny she found it, but leaned over and kissed him for the sentiment anyway. After they broke apart, they lay still for some time, regaining their breath. Finally Squall decided it was time to see how the armor had stood up to the thrashing. Rinoa had her eyes closed and was not prepared for the suddenness of his movement, jumping as he stood.

"Well, let's take a look and see if we did any damage with foot, fist or tree." He held out his hand to help her stand.

"Its not like I was aiming for you to hit the tree, but thanks for just making me hit the occasional branch in retribution." She took the proffered hand and stood.

"I told you I wasn't going easy on you. I was aiming for the tree." She slapped his chest for his comment. "Ok, turn around and let me look at you."

Rinoa turned slowly and let Squall take a look at every square inch, which in certain places, namely the chest piece which had taken the brunt of his assault, made her face turn red, even though he was only looking at the armor. She was gratified to see the same blush on his face as he did so. After concluding that her armor was without a mark, Squall had his turn to be checked, though it was not as embarrassing for them, as the sculpted counters were not as intimate on his chess piece. Upon reaching the same conclusion, they tried to find another method of testing the armor.

He was sure that there were bruises, but it wasn't anything that they couldn't handle, Squall thought to himself as he contemplated getting hit with a tree limb full on. Accepting this idea, Squall walked over to the nearest trees and looked for a suitable weapon. Finding a branch that was about seven foot long and six inches around the thick end, Squall returned and handed it to Rinoa, then placed his helmet on his head.

"And what am I supposed to do with this?" She too placed her helmet on and suddenly felt the branch become lighter in her hands.

"Hit me." Squall cocked his head to the side. Was it just him or did his voice sound different with the helmet on?

Rinoa's head cocked in a mirror image. "Hit you? Are you insane?" Was that her voice?

"Yes I am. Now hit me." Definitely something odd with their voices.

With a shrug Rinoa complied, cocking the limb back and bringing it back with all of the force that she could muster. With the suit helping, that turned out to be a lot and ended up with Squall taking the blow directly to his chest and his feet leaving the ground. The branch exploded in a shower of wooden shrapnel while a tree across the clearing exploded from Squall's impact.

Using her speed to her full advantage, Rinoa raced across the clearing and into the forest. The path of destruction left no doubt to where Squall had ended up. He was just standing shakily to his feet when Rinoa came up to his side. Before she could say anything, Squall spoke first.

"That was an amazing hit Rinoa. I am going to have to give this armor my seal of approval. Even with my healing abilities, that blow would have killed me." Squall brushed himself off.

"Are you trying to make me feel better for hitting you?" Rinoa's face was anxious behind the mask of her visor.

"You did exactly what I asked you to. Your not to blame." Squall's head again cocked to the side. "Is it just me or do we sound different with these helmets on?"

Rinoa nodded. "I noticed that. Your voice seems to echo more…"

"While yours sounds crystal."

"Crystal? I must have hit you head first into that tree." Squall only shrugged in reply.

They moved back to their belongings. Rinoa picked up her launcher and loosened the straps on the device so it would fit over her armor. After securing it to her left arm, she let out a small "wow" staring around her, moving her arm slightly.

"What is it?" Squall watched her with amusement.

"There is a targeting reticule that shows me where I am aiming. I don't have to sight down my arm any more. This is great!" She was so excited, that she ran to the center of the clearing and aimed at an arbitrary tree before letting the weapon fly.

Squall watched, listening to the pleased noises that she kept making, obviously hitting every target that she aimed at. After a few more minutes, Squall walked back to his gunblade. Taking his weapon from the ground, he swung it a few times, getting use to the slight difference of the skin tight armor and his normal clothes. After he was satisfied, Squall turned, placing the weapon on his back and looked over at Rinoa. He watched her move, her black hair swaying in the breeze around her silver armor.

Again Squall noticed how the armor hugged her perfect figure. "Rinoa, you are so hot," he whispered, not wanting her to hear the comment.

When she stopped suddenly and turned to him, Squalls stomach took up residence in his boots. Rinoa stalked towards him and stopped a few feet in front of him. Without telegraphing her movement, she slapped him across the faceplate.

"I knew this was too tight on me, you pervert." Every syllable quivered.

Squall knew that anything he said was likely to end with him getting smacked again, but had to try. "I don't see anything wrong with saying you're hot. Would you really slap me for saying that if you were in a dress? Hell, would you even slap me for saying that when it crosses my mind when you are in jeans and a tee-shirt? Let's forget that I whispered that comment and I have no clue how you heard that. But there you go." Squall prepared for another assault.

Rinoa placed her helmeted head against his, as though touching foreheads. "Do you really think that when I am in a tee-shirt and jeans?"

"Of course I do. Just because I love you for more than just your physical beauty, don't ever doubt that you ARE beautiful. Even in a sweatshirt and sweatpants." Squall's voice was barely above a whisper for the last sentence.

Rinoa pulled her helmet off to reveal her warm smile. The one that sent shivers through him every time he saw it. Squall pulled his helmet off, grateful for the protection that it had just afforded him from her slap. All of his lingering worries were brushed aside as she gave him a soft kiss that he was only too happy to return. This time it was Rinoa that broke off first.

"Alright Mr. Leonhart, you are forgiven, if you will do me the favor of forgiving my temper." She placed her gauntleted hand of his cheek again.

'There is nothing to forgive Ms Heartily. Now, how about we figure out how to make the wings work?"

Rinoa's response was to kiss him again before replacing her helmet and activating her wings.

Squall decided he was going to thank the General for the opportunity that these favors provided, even if he wasn't going to go into detail.


	10. Chapter 10: Things We Cannot Change

A/N: First I want to apologize to all those who read the previous chapter 10. I'll admit that it sucked. This is not a redo, but an entire replacement. This is where I should have gone with the story in the first place. Looks like it is going to be a while for chapter 11, so please bare with me. I wont be putting up another chapter that I dont feel is absolutely ready ever again. Again, in case you were spared my previous chapter 10, Aimee, I found the term Seraphim when looking up the word Seraph in the dictionary after watching Matrix Reloaded. So as much as I would love to take credit for that term... Anyway, please read and enjoy!

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CH 10 Things We Cannot Change

As it turned out the flight was just as easy to get a hang of as putting on the armor was. The learned the limits of their armor quickly, paying little head to any injuries that they may incur, so they would be best prepared for the fights that lay ahead. Soon night began to fall and the couple decided it was time to return to their base camp in this area. Due to the lateness of the hour, they felt it would be alright to return to their property their on the outskirts without changing back into their civilian clothing.

After stuffing the clothes into the bags, the couple shouldered their bags and started back. The walk was quiet and relaxing after their long day of battle and experiments with the armor. Both were starting to feel the aches from their fight, but not even these could dull their feeling of triumph at their new means of fulfilling their dreams. As they made their way back, they became aware of a glow over the trees in the direction of the village that could not be explained away by the lamps the town employed.

With concern growing in her hear, Rinoa ran towards the village with Squall keeping step behind. They raced through the trees until they finally came to the edge of the wilderness and say the village set ablaze. Men were running trying to fend off the attackers. Groups of these attackers were making their way around the town with torches to light their paths and homes that they passed by. Screams of horror and pain were coming from every direction. In the distance, at the center of the village, a tall and well-armored man set upon a horse watching his men pillage the town.

One of the resisters was brought forward, in the flickering light Rinoa could see her grandfather, his face bruised and blood running freely down his temple. The attackers kicked his legs forcing the old man to kneel before their leader. The horse mounted man appeared to speak to her grandfather, but Rinoa could not make out the words from the distance they were at with all the wails of anguish resounding between them.

Without any warning, the armored man on the horse drew a sword and stabbed her grandfather through the heart. Rinoa's restraint cracked under the weight of yet another of her family was murdered in front of her. The scream of rage that ripped through her heart rent the air. The cry, so loud and mournful, so full of rage unleashed reached every coroner of the town and silenced every other cry. To the innocent the cry was a promise of redemption and salvation. The guilty heard the dark oaths of retribution spoken from the Holy Messengers that brought death on their wings.

Rinoa's blind rage pushed her further than any motivation had ever before in her life. She moved without concern to her own safety or even the safety of the villages. She didn't remember extending her wings, but extended they were as she literally flew through the village. Every attacker that dared bar her way was cut down where they stood. She was vengeance incarnate and would not be stopped by these petty thugs. These dogs following their master to war with the innocent would receive not pity.

Squall could not have stopped her, and would not have. She had lost her family right before her eyes. This was her fight. He would allow her to do what she must. Squall was not about to let her do it without the protection that he could provide, however. She was his life and his life was in pain. That would never do. The war cry he sent to the sky that day would be heard around the world whenever the _Seraphim_ joined in battle. "The Angels of Death and Retribution have come! We have come for your souls!" At any other time Squall would have laughed at his own words, but now they seemed to fit the rage.

Squall set upon the attacking cowards nearest to him, gunblade in hand, raining destruction and death the likes these men had never seen before. The blood of the innocent had called for justice, and justice had come to extract its terrible price from the evildoers. Every swing of the gunblade, every pulsar ammo shot sent the guilty to the Hell they had earned through their actions.

To the villagers, it was as if the Gods of Heaven had sent their most terrible angles to battle the demons among them. No villager dared to move or even blink as the sight before them was forever etched in their memories. Young and old that day saw the madness of the eternal battle between those who would do and follow good, and those who supported the evils of this world. The silver, winged angles rained down upon their opponents in a brutal fashion. They turned aside few blows and would take rifle blasts full on without stopping. The blood of the guilty smeared across their 'skin' as the host of enemies fell before them.

Rinoa saw little of the people she killed in her rush for the armored man. He was all that mattered. His blood and no other would quench the fury in her heart. Would quell the scream on her lips. Would avenge those who had died at this man's hands. The group that gathered around her target fought fiercely, blows she never even saw fell upon her with utter abandon, but did nothing to stop her advance. She was the implacable foe that would not be stopped by their efforts.

The man upon the horse watched in fascination as this angel came for him. He had not moved since her cry had pierced the square. This was his fight, the fight that he had always dreamed of. The dreamed battle against a truly worthy opponent. She moved with a grace and speed that most could not have followed or appreciated. He was not most though. This fight filled him with an excitement that he had not felt in years. As he was thus transfixed, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye.

Another angel was dealing death to his men with calculated abandon. This angel of destruction, as obviously male as the one near him was obviously female, held a forbidding air about it. The woman's cry of pain gave a rationale to her actions. But the man said nothing; no cry came from his form. He was here for no other reason than to kill the guilty for their crimes. It was not personal and any level the armored leader could understand. It was as cold and calculated as any battle plan had to be in order to succeed. For some reason, this terrified the leader in a fashion that he had never feared before.

Before he could give anymore thought to the male angel, the female was upon him. He caught her attack, a well-aimed kick to his head, on his shield instead. The blow sent him flying from his horse and he crashed to the ground. He picked himself up with the speed he could muster with his heavy armor, covering him from head to toe. This was a fight that promised to be more interesting than any in his life and he would savor it while he could.

Rinoa didn't care about anything else now that she had reached her target. This man would soon be dead. That was all she thought of. That was all she wanted: his blood on her hands. They fought hand to hand, to close for the use of other weapons, every blow causing pain, every blow doing some damage. Rinoa was feeling the impacts just as much as she had with Squall earlier. Squall's confidence in her flashed through her tired limbs, giving them more strength for the onslaught, but it wasn't enough. She had worn herself out fighting Squall earlier that day and the dogs masquerading as humans earlier and it was beginning to show.

Squall's attention was drawn from his downed opponent by the sounds of battle coming from the center of the town square. He saw the blows that Rinoa was taking and his blood boiled. He felt a primal rage that he had never known before. The woman he loved was being beaten and he would not stand for it. The rage reached a peak when he saw the armored man lash out with his sword, catching Rinoa on the back; she had been spun around by a kick to her side mere moments before.

The armored man, caught up in his fight and exaltation as his opponent fell away from him, jerked at the inhuman howl that filled the night. The very air seemed to reverberate with the primal cry. The pitch rose and he grabbed his head, trying to shut out the sound. The armored man squeezed his eyes shut, the sounds resonating through the marrow of his bones. He only opened his eyes when he felt the armor cave around his stomach as he took flight from the terrific blow.

Squall could not see what he was doing. Not on any conscious level anyway. The only thing that mattered was hurting this man. That was all that Squall wanted. It was all he was going after. Gunblade long forgotten on his back, Squall lashed out with hand and foot. The man's armor was collapsing around his body with every blow. With a punch to the man's face, blood began to finally flow from this armored figure. The noses coming from Squall resembled nothing as much as a wolf killing its enemy for threatening the pack. The armored man stumbled back, unable to breath from where the armor was collapsed against his sides, not preventing any room for lungs to expand.

Squall leapt atop his enemy and began to punch its head repeatedly. Again and again the inhuman strength drove the helmet into its owner's face. The man had let out some type of yell, but the repeated punches and the now caved in helmet showed testament to why no more was heard. Still Squall did not stop. He couldn't stop himself. Every fiber within him demanded that he kept going. It wasn't until he heard the sweet sound of Rinoa's voice behind him, telling him that everything was ok, that she was okay, that he stopped the now useless beating.

Rinoa had been in pain when the blow fell across her back, dropping her to the ground and had nearly loss consciousness when she heard Squall's howl of rage. It struck her on an amazingly deep, primal level. She could feel the meaning in his howl as if he had shouted the words aloud. To here it was the sound of love. The love of a man that would not allow anything to hurt her while he was alive to prevent it. Griever, on her finger inside the gauntlets, had warmed in response to the sound.

When she looked up, she could see Squall pounding what had at one time been the enemy that had struck her down. Each time Squall's fist hand landed, the tolling of the gauntlet meeting the metal was a dirge for the un-mourned. Rinoa could see that in his current state, Squall could not tell that the battle was over. Thankfully the smoke from the burning houses prevented the townsfolk from seeing the result of Squall's fury.

The couple stood and looked around. The fires were burning, and all around them were the bodies of both attackers and the innocents. Now, however, the bodies of the attackers far outweighed the bodies of the innocents they had killed. A grim satisfaction set itself over the two avenging _Seraphim._ Rinoa crouched next to the dead body of her grandfather and collected him in her arms. Without turning to look at Squall, knowing on a new level that he would be there for her always, set off towards her grandparents home to find her grandmother.

Squall followed behind, knowing where she was headed, wanting to give Rinoa some time. Soon, he was set upon with request to help those still inside the burning buildings, which he readily did. These people had suffered enough. It was time to help them prevent any more tragedy within their lives. Squall moved from home to home, pulling people out that could not get out on their own. As he worked, the townspeople began to set up fire brigades to put out the flames. The work was exhausting, having down so much already, but Squall could not stop. He had to see this through. He had been sent to stop this from happening, but it had and he felt responsible.

Rinoa was happy to see her grandparents home still untouched by the fire and more so to see her grandmother inside the sitting room alive and well, watching over some of the local children. Without knocking, Rinoa entered the home. The children screamed as this strange silver skinned being entered carrying their elderly neighbor. Her grandmother rose, anger written on her face as she saw her dead husband. Rinoa knew she could not reveal herself to her grandmother at that moment. She knew that her grandmother would never know that it was Rinoa who brought the dead body of her husband to her.

Rinoa carefully brushed the button to extend her wings. She didn't know how they had become deactivated during her fight with the armored man, didn't know how they had even activated in the first place, but knew that this was the best way. At least her grandmother would have a partial amount of the truth.

Looks of anger and fright were replaced by awe and trepidation as the being before them revealed itself to be an angel. Then it spoke, addressing the elderly woman. "Mrs. Heartily, I am one of the _Seraphim_, I was sent to protect this place. I'm sorry to say that I failed to protect your husband. Please be of heart, he has been avenged. I must now return and assist with the fires." With that the Angel, the seraph, was gone from the home after laying the body reverently on the floor.

Tears ran down the old woman's face as she looked at her dead husband. Little did she know that mirrored tears of mourning were running down the enclosed face of her granddaughter as she made her way to Squall's side to help stop the fires. Looking directly at Rinoa, Squall whispered to Rinoa, confident she would hear him. "I love you Rinoa. I am here for you when you need me."

These simple words brought a measure of peace to her troubled heart, allowing her to focus on the task at hand. Saving the village from any further damage. Further back in her mind, Rinoa brooded on the murders of her mother and grandfather. Both had stood up and been cut down. Rinoa, too, felt the guilt of having not prevented this tragedy, but could only file this away as one of the many things that happened that she could not change.

She couldn't change what had happened. Rinoa would, however, work so that it never happened again.


	11. Chapter 11: Trial by Fire

A/N: Hey, sorry for the wait. This is a very short chapter, I know and promise the next couple will be longer. Now that my computer is working, I should be able to update at least once a week. Hope you enjoy the direction this is about to take.

CH 11 Trials By Fire

It had been the worst night of her life. The death of her grandfather, the destruction of the village she was there to protect, and last of all, she had nearly died. It had never bothered her before, but now that she had Squall in her life, the thought of leaving him alone scared her. It scared her enough that she broke out into a cold sweat.

They had worked side by side all night, helping to save what was left of peoples homes. The fires had spread faster than they would have thought, but they had grown up in a world of steel and concrete. Here the homes of brick and wood burned quickly. The had joined one of the many fire brigades, throwing buckets of water onto the flames. Leaving only when the sun had risen and the fires were out.

While the two worked, they said not a word to each other, but would touch the other gently on the back or shoulder as they passed. The merest touch sending the message of love and comfort that words could not quite match.

Now they were home. The one of the few buildings that had not been torched because of the distance from the rest of the village. After peeling of their armor in their respective rooms, both crashed. Rinoa onto the bed, and Squall onto the couch. As tired as they were though, sleep did not come easily to either. Rinoa lay awake for hours, falling asleep only at noon. For Squall it was much worse. The nightmares had begun some time before, but were slowly getting worse, making his sleep restless.

Now the dreams were becoming more lifelike. Every night, in greater detail, he saw himself chained to the table in the lab. Every night he saw over and over the things that were done to him. Panic would rise up, blocking his breath from entering or leaving his body. Then the dreams would switch. He saw Rinoa chained to the table as the cruel men performed worse experiments on her. He cried out. Forcing his lungs to function. This was his love being tortured right before his eyes. Try as he might, Squall could not move to help her though. He saw her eyes find his, the hurt and accusation there sliced deep into his soul. He was failing her. She was hurting and he was not there to save her.

Rinoa heard a shout from the other room, startling her awake. As she sat upright, she heard a heavy thud from the other room. Wearing only a long tee shirt, she rushed out of the room, to see what the commotion was, only to find Squall on the floor, thrashing in his sleep. So sudden and jerky were the movements that she dared not get close, but knew she had to help him. Running into the kitchen, Rinoa grabbed the bucket for moping and, after rinsing it out, filled it with water. Carefully she went back into the room where Squall lay in pain and with only a few minor worries, tossed the cold water onto him.

Shocked and spluttering, Squall jerked awake. Rinoa could see the haunted look in his eyes once he focused on her. Before she knew it, Squall had grabbed her. Over and over he apologized for not being able to save her, for letting her down.

"I tried, I tried so hard. I am so sorry." Was all that she could make out. Rinoa attempted to comfort him, but was unable to do so. She was unsure of what to do; she had never seen anyone in such a state. After a few attempted words, Rinoa held him close, letting him feel her warmth and love for him. She sat there for many hours holding him, offering what wordless comfort she could. Finally he fell into a dreamless sleep.

Rinoa's thoughts remained troubled. What had caused Squall to break like this? She knew the nightmares had been going on for some time. Squall had been receiving less and less sleep as they days went by. Was that what this was? The lack of sleep causing the nightmares to become worse? Or was there something more going on? A terrible though struck Rinoa. What if, in Squall's mind, he was back in the lab he found so hard to talk about? The implications that this line of thought opened were grim. It could even be that they are still experimenting on him to some degree, she thought.

It seemed that a terrible decision lay before Rinoa. She could try and help Squall go to the Laboratory where this took place and see if there was some way they were still messing with his mind, or they could get their job done and see if the General could find out for them. Neither option really appealed to her burnt out mind. The fires of hell seemed to consume Squall within Rinoa's mind's eye.

As she pondered this, Squall awoke from his exhausted sleep. He was very much aware of what had happened and was ashamed of himself. A self loathing such as he had never knew permeated his tired mind. He had snapped. His world was spiraling out of his control. He had hoped that the nightmares were just going to go away. Now it looked like they may never end. What was happening to him?

Squall pulled away from Rinoa, stood and walked over to a window. The late afternoon sunlight was streaming in, bathing the room in warmth, though the warmth never touched the young man. He stood looking out the window for some time, Rinoa staring at him. This had to be a side effect of the things done to him. Squall knew that. He also knew that Rinoa would have figured that much out. What good was that information if he couldn't deal with the problem here and now? Frustration welled up and irritated his already frayed nerves.

Rinoa could see the struggle going on. Knew better than to try and interrupt what was going on in Squall's mind. Whatever happened she would be there for him. Squall knew that. So she sat in silence, in the same place she had been while she held him. Rinoa looked down at her hands, trying to think of anything she could do to help him. When she looked back up her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't breath.

Flames covered Squall from head to toe.


	12. Chapter 12: Pain

CH 12: Pain

The pain was exquisite. He had never felt it's equal. Not even when NORG's magic pulled him back from the land of the dead. By comparison, that was just the kiss from a lover. This was a whole new chapter on pain that he had hoped he would never know.

Every inch of him was consumed in the agony of the flames that covered him. The searing caused him to drop to his knees before the sunlit window. He tried to gasp, to scream in pain, but no sound would leave his body. No air moved through his seized lungs. He could feel each heartbeat as his heart raced in panic.

Only dimly was Squall aware of Rinoa and her scream of panic. The love of his life and her importance were now drowned in that sea of pain that washed over him in wave after merciless wave. Very little mattered now except for the pain.

The pain lasted an eternity for him. Longer even than his experience of dying. He hoped for death again. Anything that could release him would be welcomed as he forgot his own identity within the pain. Everything was blurred as Squall forced his eyes open, searching for some way to end the pain. A fresh wave crested and again his eyes closed against the onslaught.

The pain seemed to coalesce into specific patterns along his body. The why didn't matter to him. All that mattered was that there were certain areas that no longer hurt. The pain spiked one more time, and Squall finally fell into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness.

A thousand miles from the charred remains of Winhill, Ellone stood near a window in the Presidential Palace of the technologically advanced nation of Esthar. The Shadow Pain had started a few minutes earlier. It had been sudden and forced tears to her eyes. It was not her pain, she knew this. She knew exactly whose pain it was.

Squall was the name of the young man who had saved her a couple of years before. Although he didn't know, that act had forged a bond between them. The type of bond that could even share pain across a great distance. Something had happened to him. This she knew without any doubts. She had recently tried to get in touch with him at Balamb Garden but had been told he was no longer there.

Ellone was not one to give up, and so had used some of the considerable resources she had at her disposal as the daughter to the President of Esthar. Now she knew he had left the Garden with his love. This had overjoyed her that he could find that in his life, but know things had taken a turn for the worse.

The ability to create these bonds had always been a consternation for Ellone. She could feel the other people's pain and it was almost too much. This Shadow Pain that permeated her body, although as her name for it implied it was but a shadow of what Squall felt, it forced her to her knees. Squall was in pain and it was time for her debt to be truly repaid. She had to get to Winhill.

As the pain passed, she was running through the halls to the Presidential Office. There she found Laguna Loire, her adoptive father, sitting at his desk looking over some document or another. At hearing the commotion out side, he looked up in time to see Ellone rush in, tears still streaming down her face.

"Ellone, what is it? What has happened?" Panic could not be kept from the man's voice.

"Squall, the young man that saved me a couple of years ago. He is in pain. I need to get to Winhill as quickly as I can." Her voice was amazingly calm, considering how much pain she had felt.

A concerned look crossed Laguna's face. "A bond?"

Ellone could only nod.

"Very well, I'll have the Ragnaroc, prepared for you. Go get Kiros to drive you to the airfield. Be safe." With this Laguna rose from his desk and gave his daughter a quick hug and kiss on the forehead.

Ellone returned the hug in kind and moved quickly through the door and on to find Kiros in his office. She had to get there soon. She didn't know what would happen if she delayed, but the very thought sent a shiver down her spine.

Rinoa was crouched over the limp form of her love. The flames were gone, though slight spasms of pain still shook the body from time to time. What had happened? The flames had been every where on him. She had tried to call out to him, tried to move but couldn't. A wordless scream was all that had escaped her lips.

She had never seen the like before. The flames had engulfed him, causing great pain she knew, but they had not seared his flesh. Granted, he was read and soaked in sweat, but he was not as charred as the remains of the homes that had seen similar flames the night before. Rinoa lightly touched his arm. It was warm to the touch, much as a sunburn would put off heat.

She crouched there for a long time, until the sun had set, but still he did not move. She felt his sweat slicked brow. Fever was readily apparent in that short touch. Rinoa forced calm into herself. Panicking now would not do anyone any good, certainly not Squall. Rinoa stood and moved back to the kitchen where she searched for a rag or washcloth.

A short search brought a clean rag to her which she immediately wet and returned to Squall, placing the cold cloth on his head. A shiver passed through Squall and then he lay still. Rinoa ran her hand along his face. Fear still lancing through her. She couldn't loose Squall, not now. Not after they had only been together such a short time after such a long separation.

Whatever it took she would save him. That is all that mattered. He would not die before she got out of him what he meant during that conversation he had promised to expound on. That thought got a weary smile out of her. It only lasted a moment and was gone. She could only care for him until he woke. She didn't dare take him anywhere. How could they treat Squall anyway? He who had been a lab rat? No, it was best that she stay with him here in Winhill until he was better.

The memory of the wounds on Squall's chest healing so quickly after he saved her from the T-Rexaur brought a surge of hope to her chest. He was tough. He would not die so easily. Fresh determination in place, Rinoa started the process of moving Squall up onto the couch. A long a difficult process it was, with Squall's shear size working against her small frame. After a few minutes of struggling, it occurred to Rinoa that he would not be that hard to lift in her powered armor.

Rinoa, after soaking the rag in cold water again and placing it on Squall's fevered brow, went back to the bedroom. She walked over to the pile she had left her armor in. She looked at it and remembered his comments about how she looked in it. With a pleased smile and a blush, Rinoa removed her tee shirt and armored up. After placing the helmet on her head, Rinoa rushed back to the limp form or Squall.

Ever so gently she picked him up, cradling him against her for a fraction of a second before placing him back onto the couch. She stood there, now in darkness, watching Squall breath through the vision enhancing visor of her armor. She removed her helmet and bent down, kissing him gently on the mouth. As she started to straighten, she heard the faint whisper of his voice.

"Rinoa…." The silence filled with the sounds of breathing once more.

His breathing was barely audible over the sound of her beating heart. She knew that he loved her. She knew it deep down where it counted, but it was still nice to have reminders such as that.

Not knowing what else to do, Rinoa returned to the bedroom and grabbed the files of the mean they were here to kill. Putting her helmet back on so she wouldn't have to turn on the light, Rinoa set to work marking the ones that she knew where dead, and marking out the speculated dead from the bodies that could not be identified for certain. She would need to check with local law enforcement later, as a member of _Seraphim_ of course. Rinoa Heartily could never learn what was needed. But that could all wait until Squall was awake. Whenever that might be. She was Squall's _Seraph_. He had told her that himself. Now, he was the only thing that mattered.

The Ragnaroc had finally landed on the outskirts of Winhill. Smoke still drifting into the night sky. It would be morning soon, but Ellone could not wait. Would not wait. Through her bond she could feel Squall nearby. It felt as though he was in the home she had given him. That made sense knowing what he was here for.

In retrospect, Ellone made a big mistake. At the time though, she felt justified in just bursting into the home. The little light that came through the doorway caught something silver sitting next to a couch before it moved with a speed to fast to follow and soon had her by the throat. A distinctly feminine voice spoke quietly into her ear.

"Move and you die." The sound was like water over crystal.

It could only be one person. "You must be Rinoa. Pleased to meet you. My name is Ellone Loire."

The shock that rolled off of Rinoa was the indication that Ellone needed. Squall had told Rinoa about saving her life. That would make this so much easier.

"Rinoa, I need you to tell me exactly what has happened over the last couple of days. Maybe then we can help Squall."


	13. Chapter 13: Monsters

A/N: Sorry, yet another short chapter. It seems I have either tendonitis or Carpel Tunnel. So until I can get in to see my doctor, you will have to put up with me. This is another one of those transitional chapters. That's a fancy way of saying I have decided to change the direction this is going to go again. Hope you guys continue to read though.

CH 13: Monsters

Rinoa didn't trust the woman before her, but realized that she had very little choice. Squall needed help and she didn't know where else she could go. And so Rinoa told her of the events the day (or was it days?) previous. The fight with the bandits, Squall's nightmare, and finally is immolation. The whole time that Rinoa spoke, Ellone remained silent, a pensive look upon her face.

This was certainly odd, Ellone thought to herself. There was certainly nothing, at least to her mind, that would cause the intense pain, let alone the immolation. The flames were the most baffling. How on earth could this young man be covered in flames but not burn on him? There was certainly nothing in her experience that could explain this. Perhaps back in Esthar?

"Rinoa, I don't know what to tell you. Maybe we should take Squall to Esthar. The Ragnoroc could get us there in a few hours from here." Ellone stared at the still masked face before her.

Rinoa didn't answer. How could she answer? They didn't even know if they could move him without causing more problems. What should she do? These and many other thoughts ran through her mind as her gaze shifted from the woman in front of her and back to Squall's unconscious form. There was something missing here. She didn't know what that was, but could feel it in her bones. She was missing something that was vitally important to Squall's survival.

Rinoa searched deep within her own feelings. She knew there was something that she could do to save him. The thought was elusive, teasing her, knowing she would pursue it and so stayed out of reach. She knew it had to do with a conversation she had had with Squall. One of the rare times when he was able to speak of his own fears. Rinoa racked her brain, searching desperately for the clue that would free Squall. What could it be?

Rinoa was quiet for some time. Ellone knew she was asking a lot and that this would take some time. Although Ellone could not see Rinoa's eyes, she knew the young woman's eyes were on Squall. Ellone could feel, in the way that seemed so singular to her alone, the love this woman had for the unconscious man laying before them. Ellone's own heart ached. Much as it did whenever she thought of young Seifer. Her thoughts returned to the young man that had come to the Presidential Palace with Squall's recommendation in hand, looking to be more than he was. Searching for his dream.

Wasn't that the purpose in life? To search for the dreams that will fulfill us? Few find those dreams, but it is the search that makes us grow. This was a time of growth or death for Squall and Rinoa, just as it was for Seifer. Ellone felt torn between her duty for both of the young mean she had known when they were young boys. But right now, Ellone couldn't deny that it was Squall that needed help more.

Rinoa stood suddenly. Her silver armor glittering in the lantern light from the guards outside the door. She needed to think. And for Rinoa, the best way to thing was to fight. It allowed her the clearness of mind to come up with unorthodox solutions. So that is what she would do now. Fight so that she might save Squall.

"Do not move him. I will be back." Rinoa moved through the home, and out the door quickly.

Ellone stared in wonder at the fluid grace and speed with which Rinoa was able to move. After a short time, Ellone continued to observe Squall. As much as Ellone wanted to use this time to move Squall, she knew if she did that Rinoa's wrath would be pointed directly at her. And that would not be a comfortable place to be. And so she waited, treating Squall's fever with cold rags on his forehead.

Rinoa ran through the forests. She was searching for something. Something that she could not place. She ran and ran, trying to catch her elusive prey. Before she had realized it, Rinoa was no longer in familiar territory. She stopped running, something telling her that this is where she needed to be.

The forest was silent. How profound that statement was to Rinoa. There were no crickets, no birds, not even the rustling of any of the monsters of this area. Something was terribly wrong. Preoccupied, Rinoa never heard the gunshot that hit her. Only the pain as the bullet collided with, and was stopped by, her armor. Although the bullet hadn't made physical contact with her, it was still painful.

Rinoa spun, looking for the source of her pain. A primal rage flared, igniting her desire for both combat and revenge on the cause of her pain. There he was, atop of a motorcycle. Rifle held in his hands, totally unconcerned with the angel he faced. He wore no armor, only a simple jumpsuit that protected him from the wind. His helmet lay on the ground at his feet.

The man smirked. "So here is one of the angels that killed my brother. I didn't care for him, but he was still my brother after all. Word travels fast you know. But now, we fight."

The man's speed was extreme. Even in her armor, Rinoa had a hard time in keeping up with him. As often as not, the man would strike with hand or foot. He seemed to relish in the combat and did not hold to any particular style. He would lash out with his gun like a club, and then attempt a shot at her.

Blows rained heavy on both sides, but the man never seemed to tire. Rinoa was not so lucky. Her body was tiring quickly. The exertion from the previous days as well as the lack of sleep was catching up to her. She was tiring, and it was slowing her down. The man took this opportunity to increase his pace, beating Rinoa into submission.

Rinoa knew she was losing this fight. She couldn't make her body move any faster, strike any harder, and was starting to despair. She couldn't beat this man. He was going to win and she was going to die. She couldn't save Squall after all. Maybe they had both been living on borrowed time. And perhaps the collections had just shown up to take payment for the time they had been allowed. Rinoa's thoughts turned to her love and a peace came over her.

The blows were still raining down, but Rinoa stopped feeling their impact. A heat was spreading from her heart to her limbs, reaching finally the finger where Griever lay. The ring heated and with a deafening roar, Griever was released. The winged Lion emerged from his cage, growing to full size with explosive force, pushing the man back. The man grinned. Finally a real fight.

Griever was the most majestic thing Rinoa had seen. She wasn't sure she had believed what Squall had said about the ring being a GF, but was glad that he was right. The silver lion, with its black wings beating rose from the ground and started its attack on the being that threatened his master's love. Clay and fang met fist and rifle. The monsters clashed, one a GF, the other a human. The fought like primal beasts, giving no quarter. Rinoa stood in shock watching the events of the conflict.

As the fight began to where on, and neither showed signs of tiring, Rinoa became suspicious. She could tell that Griever had enough power to destroy the man that had attacked her, but Griever seemed to be stalling. Why would he be stalling?

The answer came in the form of a familiar voice. "Griever! He's mine!"

The armor clad form of Squall walked from behind Rinoa to stand by her. Griever roared and, in a flash of light and sound, returned to the ring from which he had come. Squall's words from that day in the infirmary came back to her then.

"_This is Griever. He is a symbol of strength. I want you to wear him. I outgrew this ring years ago, so it should fit your finger well. He will protect you when I am not at your side and will keep you safe until I arrive."_

"_A GF?"_

"_Griever is a very special GF. He only comes out to fight for the one who loves me. I could never call him for myself."_

Squall had awoken to come and fulfill his part of the bargain with Griever. Griever would protect until the master was able to finish the job.

Before Squall could move in to engage, Rinoa placed a hand on him. "Squall, are you alright?"

Squall whispered so only she would hear. "No my love, but I will be. With you at my side I will be."

Rinoa's head moved to the side. A habit of hers that she did when confused. It brought an unseen smile to Squall's lips.

"Rinoa Heartily, will you marry me?"

As Rinoa's voice caught in her throat, Squall rushed forward to finish the fight.


	14. Chapter 14: Conflict

A/N: HA. Didn't think this would ever get posted, did ya?

CH 14 Conflict

The fight was intense. Rinoa had always suspected that Squall did not tap much of his power. She believed that it was fear of becoming a monster that held him back. Now as she watched the blurred movements of the two combatants, she felt vindicated in her belief.

The movement was furious. Squall's movements were fluid, flowing forward, always pressing the offensive. His opponent kept up well, trading ground for life. The man would attempt to take advantage of perceived tempos, just as Squall would change the beat of his attacks. Slower, faster, faster, slow. Always changing, never repeating, never the same.

The purest form of expression. The two fought with their wills as well as their emotions. There were no words to be misconstrued. All that there was, was the fight. A fight to kill. A fight to live. Two destinies to be decided by the individuals and not by fate. It was beautiful. It was terrible. A thousand songs could be composed while watching the fight; a thousand poets could ply their trade and never reach the purity of the fight. There were no loud exclamations of idealism, tyranny or egotism that can so often plague works of men.

Time seemed to stop for the three involved in the battle. One watching while the others fought furiously. Only one thought flowed through Rinoa's mind as she watched. '_He proposed._' She watched the man she loved fight for her. A burst of happiness as well as disgust flowed through her. Happiness that Squall wanted to marry her. Disgust that he had to protect her. She would not allow that. They would be partners in all things. As _Seraphim _as well as husband and wife.

Her decision made, Rinoa rushed forward. Squall saw her move, saw the determination in her movements, and jumped away from the conflict. The man, who had been so intent on Squall, did not realize his female opponent was back until it was too late to stop her.

Rinoa's fist flew forward connecting with the side of the man's head, bone breaking from the impact. He staggered, before turning his attention on her. She had not shown to be a truly worthy opponent earlier, and he underestimated the strength of her resolve. Rinoa seemed to blur to Squall's vision. She moved in close, disregarding her weapon, using her hands, elbows, knees and feet at such a close range, the man could not use his weapon either. Unfortunately for him, he didn't have time to drop it.

He couldn't believe the difference. She was ruthless in her attack. Even the male in the silver armor with the gunblade wasn't this vicious.

Rinoa ducked under a punch, side stepped and planted her fist in his floating ribs. A gush of breath accompanied the crack of bone snapping. Now she was behind him. One hand snaked around his throat and grabbed the opposite side of his jaw. He felt the opposite hand grab his temple on the opposite side. He knew what was coming. He knew he couldn't stop it. His mind went horribly blank.

Rinoa kicked the back of his knee forcing his body to drop as she pulled her hands apart. A last sickening crack, and the body crumpled, the fight over. Rinoa was breathing hard. She had done it. The victory was hers. The sound of retching caused Rinoa and Squall to spin, ready to face a new enemy.

Ellone stood at the edge of the forest, having run after Squall as quickly as she could, trying to find what had woken him and made him rush out without a word to her. She had arrived in time to see Squall disengage and Rinoa rush in, reducing the man to the broken shell that lay crumpled before her.

It has shocked and disgusted Ellone. This is not something a woman should do she felt. It fit though. Squall would not love a woman that he had to take care of. He would love a woman that was strong and could finish a fight without the nausea that she, Ellone, felt.

That is why he had turned away from her advances. She had known it and had accepted it. That didn't make it hurt any less however. Still she would be happy for the two. But for now, she would return to the cabin. Without a word, Ellone turned and left.

Squall walked up to his silver skinned angel. Pulling her into an armored hug.

"I am so proud of you Rinoa. You were amazing. I don't think Zell could have done as well in a fist fight against you. And he is one of the best I have seen. Perhaps you should do more in-close fighting."

Rinoa smiled though she knew he couldn't see it.

"I refuse to be the damsel in distress. And the answer is 'Yes' in case you were wondering."

"Not wondering. Hoping certainly." Squall took his helmet off. Rinoa gasped as he did. Her hand going to his face.

"What…!" Her voice choked at this point.

Squall smiled, a touch of sadness. "Whatever happened to me with those flames, this is what was left when I woke earlier."

Rinoa took of her own helmet and one glove, running her bare hand over the blue lines running in a strange pattern down either side of his face, from his forehead and down his neck, disappearing inside the armor.

"Apparently I'm a marked man, now."

Rinoa burst out laughing. "That was terrible. You should avoid making puns."

"Well, you looked really shocked, so I though I would lighten the mood a bit."

"Well, you'll be getting some odd looks from now on. I bet Zell will want to know where you got your tattoo done."

Squall groaned. "That's the last thing I need. Zell bugging me about it. I guess I could tell him how much it hurt to get them. Maybe that would make him drop the subject." Squall shrugged.

"So, umm… How far…?"

"How far do they go down?"

Rinoa nodded.

Squall grinned. An oddly evil grin. "You'll have to find out for yourself after we're married."

Rinoa blushed 12 different shades of read in seconds. Squall's grin grew wider at seeing that. His smile didn't last too long when Rinoa, got a grin that made his seem angelic by comparison. Squall shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.

Without a word, Rinoa replaced her glove and helmet, moving off after Ellone.

Squall stood still for a few moments. '_And people think that I scare them. They have obviously not seen her smile like that. I don't think I want to know what was going on inside that head of hers.' _With a final shudder Squall hurried after the two women.

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Cid hadn't heard anything about Ms. Heartily or Mr. Leonhart since they had disappeared from Deling City over a month ago. Gone camping his sources told him. Spending some time together, with the General's permission no less, before they decided what to do with their lives.

This was most inconvenient for him. He needed to find them and convince them to return. They needed to be at Balamb Garden. Those two had been groomed to be the finest combatants that Garden had produced and their leadership would be needed in the coming months. If the reports were accurate, Galbadia intended to invade. Meanwhile, Cid was hearing about unrest in the Winhill area and even from the plains of Centra. The Centrans hadn't been heard from in decades. Apparently that was about to change.

Even Esthar was gearing up for a coming conflict. Things were looking to get real ugly, real soon. And Balamb seemed to be right at the center of it, with contracts being fulfilled all over the world for opposing countries.

To make matters worse, Seifer Almasy and Quistis Trepe had disappeared shortly after Trepe was pronounced well. Rumors were running rampant. Even the easy going Kinneas, Timmit and Dincht were acting oddly. They seemed much more furtive these days. In fact, ever since they had become SeeDs.

Cid shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Something was going on. Something that he couldn't put his finger on. To make matters worse, the General had announced his retirement from the Galbadian military shortly after Rinoa and Squall had shown up at his home. With his retirement impending, he had also announced that he was withdrawing his support from Gardens. To much confusion the General had citied a conflict of interests for a new employer, he would be representing. Any questions directed along this line, trying to clarify what he had said were met with the same words over and over. "Watch Winhill and Timber. You'll see what I mean."

Cid had not paid much attention at the time. But reports had come in the day before. A band of thieves had attacked the town. They had attacked the town and then were utterly destroyed by, amazingly, two 'Angels' that appeared out of no where, killing the bandits to the man, helping put out fires, and bury the dead.

The two 'Angels' must be who the General was talking about. Whatever they were, they were competition. And Cid could not allow competition to survive. An idea struck Cid as he thought about this. A perfect way to test Kinneas, Timmit and Dincht; they would be sent in as assassins. Sources were still saying that there were bands of robbers in the area still. No doubt these 'Angels' had been hired to eliminate the thieves and so would stay in the area for a while.

Cid reached for his intercom system. "Xu, get Kinneas, Timmit and Dincht up here on the double, I have a mission for them.

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A/N: Hey guys, it has been awhile. To all of you who think that I was holding out for more reviews, I apologize, that is not what I wanted. Truth be told? I have had massive writer's block. To all of you who have reviewed: Thanks. It's good to know people other than me have enjoyed reading this. I won't make anymore promises on when another chapter will be up, but I will try for another up next week. I really enjoyed writing the fight scene in this. If you have any comments specifically about that, please email me with what you think. I would be interested in what you have to say.


	15. Chapter 15: Appearances

CH 15 Appearances

Cid was loosing it. At least, that is how it seemed to Irvine, Selphie and Zell. It had been over a month since Rinoa and Squall had left, and it seemed that the more time that went on the closer to the edge Cid got. Cid had called the three up to his office, and ranted about this new mercenary group that was cleaning up the scum around the small town of Winhill. In his rage he paced around the office, swearing uncontrollably. When he finally stopped the three were wary. That was when Cid calmed down enough to articulate the orders. "Find these 'Angels' and remove them."

A day later Irvine, Selphie and Zell were renting a car from the train station in Timber. They had a long way to drive so they opted for the larger vehicle, not really caring about the cost since it was on Garden's account. After loading the vehicle, the three climbed in, Irvine driving while Selphie acted as navigator in the passenger seat.

Zell sat in the back re-reading the letter the three had received from Squall and Rinoa before the couple had seemed to go into seclusion, according to the Headmaster's information. This letter had been cause for much debate among the three friends, especially over the last 24 hours. The letter was succinct, showing that Squall had been the one to compose it, even if he hadn't typed it.

_Selphie, Irvine and Zell,_

_We made it safely to Deling City and have come up with some plans for our future. We would like you three to consider joining us. We are planning to start a competing mercenary force to that of the SeeDs. We already have our first contract lined up. Keep an eye on Winhill in about a month and you'll see what we mean. If you are interested, you will be welcome to join us in Deling City in a few months time when we complete our contract._

_If you do decide to join us, we ask that you become SeeDs before resigning. It is for a psychological impact as much as anything else. If you decide to pass up this offer, we would ask that you not mention this to anyone else. We hope that you will give it your fullest consideration though._

_R & S_

Irvine, Selphie and Zell had suffered from a lot of conflicting emotions when Rinoa and Squall had left especially considering the reasons for leaving. The three had proceeded with the SeeD exam, though it had been delayed while Cid and NORG tried to reign in the wild, but sometimes true, rumors of Squall and Rinoa's departure.

Now that they had become SeeDs, Selphie had suggested they take up Rinoa and Squall on their offer. "Now is as good of a time as any! You saw how Cid was acting during the mission briefing. I don't think we can hang around for much longer." She had said on the train ride to Timber.

During the last couple of weeks Irvine had been doing some checking. He was certain that these 'Angels' being reported in Winhill had to be Rinoa and Squall. The biggest piece of evidence was the General, a well-known backer of SeeD forces, withdrawing his support. The General had cited his public reasons for withdrawing his support as well as a 'Parting of ways with Headmaster Cid's policies.' No one really expected any different once his daughter showed up at his door, however it was what was going on behind the scenes that made Irvine believe that Squall and Rinoa were the 'Angels'.

While the General was still in the Galbadian Military, he was disengaging himself sooner than was expected and seemed to be meeting more often with the people more interested in making use of mercenary forces. Selphie and Zell had both asked how Irvine managed to find any of this out, Irvine just shrugged.

All of this went a long way for the trio and, with much trepidation, they decided now was the time to leave while they could. And so, moving out to conform with the act they had decided on, the three pressed onward to Winhill. Rinoa and Squall had asked them to join them in a few months back in Deling City, but that would no longer be the best course of action. They had to be told about Cid's new views.

It had been several days since they left Timber, and were finally approaching the Winhill area. And it was only now that the three realized they had no real way to contact Rinoa and Squall if they couldn't be find them just by walking down the streets and knocking on doors.

Without anything else to go with, the three piled out of the vehicle and started walking around the small village of Winhill. The streets were devoid of people and buildings were locked. As they neared the town hall, the distant sounds of laments were brought on the wind to the trio. Thinking that there was trouble, they ran towards the sound.

As they neared the source of the sound, the laminations grew louder until they found the cause. The whole village was gathered around 23 freshly dug graves and saw the coffins lowered into the ground. The sobs stopped abruptly when an outcry came from those gathered as they took notice of Selphie, Irvine, and Zell. It was an outcry of surprise that quickly turned to a cry of outrage. Before the assembled people could do much more than take a single step, a clear, female voice called for them to stop. As the crowd stopped its abrupt charge, a raven-haired young woman wearing black, clasping a tall brown haired man's hand stepped through the crowd.

"These are friends, they are not here to hurt us."

The irrepressible Selphie could hold back no more. With a shout of "Rinoa!" she charged down the hill separating the town from the graveyard, nearly tackling Rinoa with her shear velocity. The two, who had never really been close, held on tight. Smiles and tears on both faces. Irvine and Zell came down much more resolutely, wary of the reaction from the crowd.

Squall managed to pry Selphie off of Rinoa, though with some difficulty and turned to great the other two. After handshakes among the men with hugs from the women, the group returned to group funeral. Words were spoken about each of the deceased as they were lowered into their final resting places. When it was over, everyone turned to move on with their lives, though the ache of those who where taken from them would never truly leave them.

Rinoa, after squeezing Squall's hand, went to her Grandmother and helped her back to town. Squall wanted to reassure her, very much so, but had no words to do so. He had been an orphan, raised without family. He could not know her loss, just as she could not know the ache of never having had a family. Squall was aware enough that to have something and then lose it was much worse than never having had it and so did what he could. Stand by her and offer what little he could. Watching Rinoa walk away with her grandmother gave Squall a unique insight into their relationship. He had a family now. It was not just Rinoa's loss, but his as well.

Squall shook his head, and turned to the three still standing in the cemetery with him.

"What on earth are you doing here?"

"Squall--" Zell began.

"It would be best if we discussed this in private." Irvine interrupted.

"Very well. Follow me. Rinoa should be able to join us later. She needs to be with her grandmother now." With this Squall headed off up the hill and onto the road leading back into town. They walked slowly through the town and then to the house on the outskirts of the village.

They moved into the house, where Squall offered them the couch after moving his pillow and blanket. Irvine looked like he was about to say something until an alert Selphie elbowed him in the ribs. Although done fairly surreptitiously, Squall saw it and laughed. An act that frightened the three, as they did not know how much he had changed.

"I appreciate the concern Selphie, however I know what Irvine was about to ask. No, Irvine, we are not sleeping together. She gets the bed and I am using the couch." Squall moved to the window and looked outside. "Rinoa's grandfather was killed in the attack her last week. Things were so bad here that proper burials were not able to take place as soon as we all would have liked."

The three seemed choked up by the news and just nodded. They all stayed in their respective positions in total silence until Rinoa arrived an hour later. The more sedate Selphie stood from her position between Irvine and Zell to give Rinoa another hug.

"I'm sorry Rinoa. Are you doing ok?" Selphie asked as she let go of Rinoa and returned to her seat.

"Yes. My grandfather was avenged. Grandmother will be alright in a few days." Rinoa walked over to Squall who immediately gave her a kiss. When Rinoa turned around it was to be met by three shocked faces. She cocked her head in the way that said she was confused. After a moment she burst out laughing. Squall was shaking with quite mirth when he saw what Rinoa found so funny.

"You didn't tell them?"

"No, I wanted you to."

"Would you three please act as though you have seen Fiancés kiss?"

The looks of shock were replaced by looks of confusion. Then, like the blast from a cannon Selphie screamed.

"YOUR GETTING MARRIED?"

In less time then it took to blink, Selphie had Rinoa and Squall in a hug that threatened to break bones. Irvine and Zell settled for having their jaws hang open in the light of realization.

"Selphie, could you please get a hold of your self? We would like to breath." Rinoa gasped in deep lungful of air as Selphie relinquished her death grip.

As Selphie pulled back, she noticed the unusual blue lines and swirls that made their way down Squall's face.

"Squall, what happened to your face?"

"It's a fairly long story. First lets go over what you three are doing here."

"Squall! That's a little rude isn't it?" Rinoa asked as she placed her arm around Squall.

"Rinoa, I am happy to see them. But seeing them here could be very bad news. I am not sure at all I want more bad news right now, but if there is some I would prefer to have it out of the way sooner." Squall stated this simply while giving Rinoa a squeeze with the arm around her.

"Unfortunately Squall is right, Rinoa." Irvine spoke up from his place on the couch at last. "Cid sent us to come here and eliminate the new competition that you guys represent. He doesn't know that it is you two, but your leave of Garden seems to have really unbalanced him." Irvine was quick to interject when he saw identical dark looks cross the couple's faces.

"He sent you here to kill us?"

"Yes, but we aren't here to do that. We decided the best chance we had of leaving was by coming here and seeing if there is something you guys and the General can do to hide us. Fake our deaths or something. Otherwise Cid might send assassination squads after us too."

Squall let go of Rinoa and started pacing. Hand on his chin he walked up and down the room. Zell started to speak when Rinoa shushed him, the whole time watching Squall. Suddenly Squall stopped, his eyes finding Rinoa. Into that small breadth of time and understanding passed between them. At the same time they uttered one word.

A single name.

"Ellone!"

A/N: Wahoo! Finally got this chapter done. I seem to spend much of my AN's apologizing so I will let you know that I am finally going back to get my Bachelors degree. I am going to be taking a full load and so may not have time to write another chapter for a while. Longer than it has been so far. So with that in mind, I hope I have given you all something to look forward to. Thanks to all of you have read this and put up with my inconsistent nature.


	16. Chapter 16: Pain is a Poison

CH 16 Pain is a Poison

"Who is Ellone?" Selphie asked, returning to Irvine and Zell on the couch.

"Ellone is the adopted daughter of Laguna Loire. She promised to provide us with whatever help we needed. What do you think Rinoa? Are we ready for additional help?" Squall walked over to the window and stared out of it while Rinoa considered.

After a few minutes consideration, Rinoa turned her gaze from the three friends back to Squall. "Maybe. The only problem is that even with Ellone's assistance, it is going to take some time for those items to be ready. Maybe we should send these guys to Esthar with a letter of introduction. Ellone should be able keep them safe for awhile."

Squall nodded. "That is true. We could use them for scouting and reconnaissance in Timber though. This way they can let us know what's going on, be safe from Cid, their cover will be that they had intelligence that the _Seraphim_ would be in the Timber area, and can keep us appraised. We could even have them report that they need assistance from the more experienced SeeD so that we can see how we compare." All this was said very fast as Squall became more and more excited.

Selphie, Irvine, and Zell were all staring at Squall as though he has lost what little of his mind he had gained back. They turned as one to Rinoa, believing she would have some kind of exasperated look on her face. They were horrified to see the same manic excitement reflected on her face that shone so clearly on Squall's. The trio started to get a shared bad feeling in regards to the practicality of coming to the couple for help. It was now starting to look like this would severely decrease their odds of survival. That was not one of the things that they wanted to have happen.

"Your insane." Zell's shock had finally worn off enough for him to express what was on all of their minds.

"Not at all Zell. If you guys go missing right off the bat, something bad may happen to your families. Now, just for the sake of argument, what do you think would be Cid's reaction to the three of you going missing after an attack on the _Seraphim_? Not just you going missing, but deaths of SeeDs to go along with it?" Squall walked back to Rinoa, putting his arm around her shoulders once more.

"He would think that we had died in the attempt to and our bodies would turn up eventually." Irvine spoke quietly, but it seemed loud in the sudden silence that had followed Squall's question.

"Exactly. And once that your believed dead, we can move you into Delling. We will need to find ways to hide your identities. That's going to require some sacrifice on your guys' parts." Rinoa concluded.

"What kind of sacrifices?" Selphie sounded scared as she asked.

"Well for you Selphie, that will probably mean growing your hair out, bleeching it, dying it a different color, and would require a more varied choice of clothing. You would need to stop wearing the yellow dresses."

The scared look turned to one of injured horror.

"Irvine, you will need to cut your hair. Something short like Zell's, but I don't think dying it would be necessary. You also would need to change your choice of clothing. The cowboy thing gives you away to easily." Selphie's look of horror was nothing to match Irvine's.

"That just leaves you Zell. You'll be harder to disguise. The whole face tattoo. The same hair and clothing change definitely, but that tattoo…" Rinoa looked at Zell intently. "What do you think Squall?"

"Well, your right about the hair and clothing. Longer hair, less spiky. Long pants, loose but still long. Hmmm." Squall moved over to Zell and turned Zell's head so that he could see the tattoo from different angles. "Zell, how would you feel about changing the design? Removing it is too impractical, but changing the design should throw people off from knowing that it is you."

Zell shrugged. "Sounds alright to me. I've been thinking about modifying it anyway."

Selphie's tongue finally gained control of itself once more. "Rinoa! You can't be serious about those changes! Squall! Tell her!" Irvine nodded dumbly.

"Sorry Selphie, but I agree with Rinoa. Once you guys 'die' you cant be recognized, otherwise it was time wasted and you'll likely die anyway."

"Most people see that as a bad option Selphie." Rinoa was trying not to laugh at the girl's obvious discomfort.

Eventually Selphie and Irvine nodded that they would do what was necessary.

"Is it agreed then? Do you really want to do this?"

The three looked at each other. After a few seconds they all nodded. Zell spoke for them all. "We're here to join you, so we'll do it."

"That's good. Its kinda late, so why don't we head over to the pub? Rinoa and I don't have enough food to feed all of us, so let's eat out."

The others quickly agreed. Squall started walking away when Irvine brought up a concern. "Squall, why aren't you and Rinoa armed?"

"Well, we only brought our single weapons and those have been seen by the townsfolk as the weapons used by the _Seraphim _so we really cant afford to wear them right now."

"So your totally unprotected?"

Rinoa laughed. "Irvine, if you believe that, you don't know us at all."

The cold chill in Rinoa's voice as she said this reminded them of the sadistic young woman that had caused pain to a lot of the Junior Classmen, but it wasn't the same. It was not sadistic, but a warning backed with steel. Not physical steel, but the steel of character that comes from those that are on their chosen path and have no regrets, no hesitation, and no sympathy towards the ones who would oppose them.

"The will to triumph, to protect ourselves and our charges, is far more important than any weapon. We are the weapons." Squall had regained his heart. Now he was a warrior and not just the cold, uncaring, unfeeling killer that had been created by those at Garden. It was an eye opening experience for the trio.

To some, pain is a poison that will eat away the soul and kill the spirit. For others it was a meal, one that they thrived on. Rinoa and Squall were the latter. Both had suffered. That suffering was what made them what they are. And would continue to forge them. They were truly at home in adversity. They would not be stopped by anything and would destroy what ever would stand in their way.

This was the way of all true warriors. Warriors, although they strive for peace, are willing to do what it takes to defend peace and to stop those who threaten the innocent. Warriors are willing to be challenged, to strive for what it is they want, and will defeat their enemies no matter what the personal cost. Even if it means their lives. This the trio saw was the difference between the _Seraphim_ and SeeD. SeeD claimed to have values, but were the truest form of mercenary taking most jobs that came their way with a high enough pay. This was the mark of a soldier. One of the 'Dogs of War'.

The ones that raped, pillaged, and murdered. The ones that authorize assassination missions of the competition that shows them what they are doing wrong. Like the ones that the trio still worked for.

"Wait. Squall? You too feel no remorse for the people you have killed? You're a murderer. That doesn't bother you?" Selphie asked quietly.

"How do you figure that I am a murderer?" Irvine was surprised to polite interest in his voice and not cold anger over being called a murderer.

"You have killed people. That's murder, not matter what way you look at it."

"Your wrong Selphie." Squall took a deep breath and turned back to the window, speaking to Selphie as he looked out.

"Murder is the willful killing of one that could not stop it. One that was unable to prevent it. More importantly murder can only be done to those who are 'innocents'." Squall shook his head. "I have killed. I know I will kill again. The people that I kill are evil. These are those who would attack the vulnerable for their own gain. The people I kill are killers themselves. They are the murderers that you have unthinkingly categorized me with."

"Have I killed an innocent? I'm afraid that I may have. My only defense is that I was in circumstances that did not allow for me to be in control of my actions. I don't now if that is any kind of defense, but it is what allows me to remain human. Remain the man that loves Rinoa. The man that feels pity towards you for not understanding and not anger. If I did commit that act, there is nothing that I can do to atone for it, save live my life preventing others from doing the same, even if it means killing them. Especially if it means killing them, because that would mean they were so removed from being human that they need to be put down. These people are not just animals, but are truly Evil."

Selphie spoke defiantly. "There's no such thing as evil. There is only differences of opinion. We must be understanding of these people and try to educate them of their wrongs. They deserve pity."

Rinoa answered. "Pity for the guilty is betraying the innocent victims. There is such a thing as evil Selphie. Evil is what killed my mother and grandfather right before my eyes. Evil is what destroys the good things people are capable of." Her voice was heavy with emotion.

"Evil thrives on those who would capitulate to it as you would do. You are one of those that suffer the Evil to continue. You willingly have closed your eyes to the damage that it can do. These people must die. That is the answer that justice demands. By allowing them to live, you allow for them to have further victims. To continue what they do. They are a threat to all that is good and must be destroyed at all costs." Tears ran down Rinoa's face. Squall picked up the thread.

"There are indeed differences of opinions Selphie. Differences in view. However those do not apply with right and wrong. What is right encourages growth, learning, kindness, and all the great attributes that humans are capable of. Evil is all that would tear that down. It is all that tells people they don't have to work for what they want in this life. Evil is the ones in this world who feel they are more important than anyone else. That no one but them matters in this world."

"Selphie, what this comes down to is that you can either accept that there is evil and people who will do evil whenever given the opportunity and that they must be stopped no matter the cost, or you can side with them. There is no middle ground. 'All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.'"

Squall hugged Rinoa tightly and together they moved towards the door. At the door Rinoa stopped and turned back to the trio. "If you join us, you will have to kill. If you're not willing to do that, leave and don't come back. We do what we have to. We are going to protect others. True, we will be paid for it, and what better job could there be?" And with that they walked out the door.

Zell stood up and walked towards the door. "I want this. I want to be what they have become." He left Irvine and Selphie alone in the house.

"They're wrong, Irvine. They have to be wrong." Selphie whined.

"I'm not so sure Selphie. I think they may be right." Irvine lay back in the sofa. "Selphie, is that what you really think? How on earth did you plan on being a SeeD? You had to know that you would have to kill."

"I wouldn't have to kill. There is always a way around killing."

Irvine shook his head. "I think you are way of the mark on this one Selphie."

"Lets leave Irvine. We don't have to be involved in any of this anymore. We could go to Dollet or to Esthar and just disappear. You and me." Selphie said as she grabbed Irvine's arm.

"I don't know Selphie. I don't know if we can hide."

"Sure we can. We'll use Rinoa's suggestions for disguising ourselves. We can leave and never be found." Selphie pleaded earnestly.

Irvine sat, silent for several minutes. Finally he answered. "Ok, Selphie. We'll go. We'll go now. Irvine stood together with Selphie and together they left. They returned back to the parked vehicle and left driving east towards Deling and eventually on to Esthar.

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Dinner was a depressing time for Rinoa, Squall, and Zell. They had waited 30 minutes for one or both of the others to show up. When neither did, the three knew the others had left. Had run for it. Squall had asked Zell what he would report to Cid. Zell had replied that he wasn't going to. He was going to stay with them no matter the cost.

After eating, the three returned to the house on the outskirts of town. They walked in the front door only to find a package sitting on the table. Rinoa grabbed the note and read it aloud.

"Congratulations on your engagement, Murderers.- Selphie"

A look of comprehension dawned on Squall just before the world dissolved into light and sound.

A/N: Finally. I have enough time between classes to get this written. I think this will be the last chapter I will post, unless I get responses from you guys requesting I finish the story. No, this is not the end of the story. It might be all that gets posted, but we'll see.


	17. Chapter 17: The Long Road

CH 17 The Long Road

Ellone was working in her office off to the side of her adopted father's. She had stayed very busy since her return from Winhill a week earlier. She had returned to her self assigned job of helping the young Seifer Almasy attain his dream, and had succeeded. She was grateful to have helped one of the orphans she had known at the orphanage so many years before. He had changed, which was not really a surprise considering all that had happened, but he seemed to be wanting to change even more. In a better direction, Ellone was happy to see.

Ellone was plugging away at the data concerning the national exports of Esthar when an pain from her bond with Squall dropped her to the floor. Ellone was totally unaware of everything but the pain for the space of a heat beat, and then it was gone. The pain was gone, but not the memory nor was the effect of the pain as Ellone realizing that she was screaming still.

Ellone silenced her scream as the door to Laguna Loire's office slammed open and he ran in.

"Ellone! What's wrong? What happened?" Laguna bent over his daughter, cupping her cheek in his hand and staring at her face.

"Its Squall, Father. Something bad has happened to him. I don't know what it was. The pain was unbearable." Ellone's throat felt as though it had ripped, and her voice was raspy.

Laguna stared into space for several minutes, keeping his hands on his daughter's shoulders.

"I will look into this Ellone. You must stay here and recover. I think this bond may have done some serious damage to you this time." Laguna helped Ellone stand up. "Lets get you to bed, and then I'll go see about Squall. Is he still in Winhill?"

Ellone could only nod as a dull ache filled her chest.

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The people of Winhill crowded around the home of the two young kids that had come visiting. Or at least what had been the home the two had been staying in since they had arrived. The widowed Grandma Heartily stood still as stone, staring at the wreckage where her granddaughter had been living with that young man, Squall.

Now all that was left were small sections of wall and patches of wood that marked the floor. Grandma Heartily's emotions had shut down. Her daughter was gone. Her husband was gone. Now her only grandchild was gone. Everyone she loved was gone.

Her scream rent the air.

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Laguna arrived in the Ragnarok, just as an elderly woman scream her grief into the air. He made his way over to the crowed gathered around smoking remains. Several people past him carrying the distraught woman. One of the townsfolk stopped Laguna.

"What are you doing here stranger?"

"I came looking for a young man that once helped my daughter years ago. His name is Squall Leonhart." Laguna never looked at the man, but stared unblinkingly at the smoking ruin.

"I'm afraid your too late stranger. That young man and the girl he was with entered that house moments before the explosion."

"Have you found their bodies among the debris?"

The man gave Laguna a sad type of smile. "Mister, there was no debris. None at all. What ever exploded incinerated near to everything."

Laguna's jaw dropped. "Everything!"

The man only patted Laguna on the shoulder and moved on.

Laguna fell to his knees, staring in shock at the violence that had just taken place. After a small eternality, Laguna pulled a radio out of his pocket and called the Ragnarok. "Kiros, I need you to get General Caraway on the line for me."

"Sure thing, Laguna."

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It was not a call that General Caraway was expecting. It was a call no father wanted to receive. His daughter was killed in an explosion. Gone in a flash of light, heat, and terrible sound. Gone was his family, as totally as Rinoa's grandmother's.

It was only the soldier in the General that allowed him to ask the details without breaking down in rage and despair. After the General hung up a cold, calculating fury overtook him. He would start his own inquiries and find out who was responsible. And then he would kill them. Slowly. Painfully.

General Caraway picked up the phone and called his executive officer. "Brent, I want to know everyone who was in Winhill over the last few days. I want to know who left there within the last 6 hours. I want to know where they are."

"Yes sir. I'll get back to you soon."

"And Brent?"

"Sir?"

"Start by looking for known SeeDs."

"Yes, sir."

The General hung up the phone. It was only a matter of time now. This time, he would deal personally with the killer or killers. If it was the SeeDs, Caraway would send the heads of those responsible to Cid.

_Damn all SeeDs if Cid is responsible_, Caraway said to himself.

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Cid was at his desk, waiting for the message to come. His agent had promised results by tonight, and they had never let him down. The phone rang.

"Hello?"

A feminine voice answered. "They're dead."

"Are you sure?"

"Questioning me is not wise." The line went dead.

_So, they are finally dead. I knew I chose the right agent. Things will be much easier now._ Cid thought has he hung up his phone. He stretched and stood. _It is time to prepare for the main event._

Cid made his way to his room on the second floor in the teacher's dormitories. A smile played on his lips as he whistled tunelessly.

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As Irvine came out of the convenience store after putting fuel in their rental, he saw Selphie hanging up the pay phone.

"What on earth are you doing? We can't be calling people if we're on the run!" Irvine hissed.

"Its O.K Irvine. I was just calling information to see when the times for the next train to Dollet is."

Irvine was taken aback. All he could manage before climbing back into the rental was "Oh."

Irvine and Selphie climbed into the vehicle. A smile playing on Selphie's lips.

"We're almost home free Irvine," she said as they drove back towards Timber, the sky darkening as they did.

**_A/N: I would like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who asked me to finish. I appreciate the sentiment. I don't want you guys to believe that I was only waiting for reviews, or worse demanding them. I would have finished posting if I just got an email. But, thanks for the reviews. I would also like to take this opportunity to explaint why I was contemplating not posting anymore. It has been part writrs block, part really really busy, and part just having a down moment thinking I had plowed this story nose first into the ground and it had gone up in flames. Ok, enough with the self pity. I knw there are some of you who like this, bless you all, and I am equally certain that there are others who absolutely hate it for whatever reason. I realize with this chapter I might get some hate mail and I my loose some readers because, and lets face it, this is not like other chapters I have done. This chapter is a cross roads. One in which I would like your imput dear readers. The direction is not changing, however my descriptions of events may become far more graphic, as this story will be getting considerably darker. They way I am thinking of writing this may cause for a change in rating from "T" to "M". For the record I am not, nor will I ever, writing a sex scene. My language, I feel, has been consistant, and you have seen the worst I will be going with language already. However, and I make no apologies, future chapters will have considerably more voilence. This is not gratiutus violence, but necessary for the story. Here is the part that I would appreciate your input. Would you like the "T" version or the "M" version? I will be writing the "M" version no matter what, but if I get any requests for the "T" I will be posting that. Any one who would like the "M" version, and again I must stress that I DO NOT write lemons, please let me know and I will email it to you after I have posted the "T" version, should it go that way. Thank you all,_**

**_-Panozdp_**


	18. Chapter 18: Breaking Point

A/N: Hello all. It has been far too long. I want to apologize for this late update. My classes have been insane and I have not had much time to work through this chapter. Unfortunately its one of my shorter works, however I hope you will enjoy it. I am currently working on revising and editing previous chapters so that they flow better. If you have any suggestions concerning this, please email them to me as I am not able to check the reviews very often. Again thank you all for your patience and understanding. I am hoping to get this story finished before May, but I may have to take a long break so please don't be disappointed if I don't update for awhile again. I promise you all I will finish this story come hell or high water.

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CH 18 Breaking Point

A month had passed since the explosion on the outskirts of Winhill. A month and still the General had not been able to locate the two SeeDs. He knew that the ones called Irvine Kinneas and Selphie Timmit not only had been in Wihhill, but had left less than an hour before the explosion. He knew it, but could not locate them. His frustration level was high and his fuse was short. Very short.

If he could get his hands on them, they would suffer a long time before their heads were sent to Cid. For them it would feel like an eternity before they met their end.

The phone rang. The General answered, his voice curt. "Yes?"

"Sir, its Brent. I have a lead on the two SeeDs. People with similar descriptions have been sighted in Dollet. It appears that they changed their appearance shortly after leaving Winhill." The executive officer's voice was relieved. It had been a long month and failing the General was not an option.

The General said nothing for a few minutes. "Excellent work, Brent. How long until you are able to retrieve them?" Brent was unable to place the tone in the General's voice. What ever it was sent a chill down Brent's spine.

"A team is on the way now, sir."

The General smiled as he replaced the phone onto the stand. It was not the type of smile that indicated mirth. They would pay for taking his little girl from him. They would pay with their lives. The General left his office near his room and was walking down the hall passed Rinoa's room when he heard the voice.

"Hi, Daddy." It was only a whisper, but it stopped the man dead in his tracks. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Panic, was replaced with anger. How dare someone play this type of a trick on him?!

The General spun around, drawing his gun as he went. Despite his age, he had the gun pointed at the figure behind him. Rinoa's bedroom door was open and he could see his daughter standing in the doorway.

"Rinoa?"

The gun lowered. He took a step towards the raven haired girl, his empty hand extended until it touched her face. A silvery hand cupped the elder man's hand on her cheek. Tears filled the General's eyes.

"I thought I'd lost you…" Was all that he could get out before he had taken her in a tight embrace. Rinoa returned the hug, and for several minutes, neither said a word. When they finally separated, Rinoa smiled in a weary kind of way.

"You almost had lost me." She beckoned with her hand, and a tall man in silver armor came into the light. "Squall managed to get the two of us out of the blast." As Rinoa finished speaking, Squall took off his helmet. His face was pale, especially with the strange blue lines running down his face.

"But, where have you two been? Its been a month since we thought you were dead."

"Squall had to hurt himself quite badly in order to save us. Even with how fast he can heal, it still took some time. After that we went in search of the assassins."

"Well, you're in luck. Brent has located them. They are currently in Dollet."

Rinoa shook her head. "No dad, they aren't. We aren't sure who they are, but they aren't the assassins."

"How can you be sure?"

"Although they look a lot like the SeeDs that came to see us, which I'm guessing I who you have been looking for, they aren't them and have been living in Dollet for several years. Besides Selphie Timmit, Irvine Kineas, and Zell Dincht's bodies were found off the coast of Timber. Their hearts had been removed pre-mortem."

"They were till alive when the hearts were removed?"

"Yes, sir." Squall answered this time. "However that was not the most disturbing part."

"And what could be more disturbing than their hearts being ripped out?" The General looked doubtful that anything Squall said could top hearts being ripped out.

"It what was done to them before their hearts had been removed." The General made a gesture for Squall to continue. "It seems that they had parts of their bodies removed. Fingers, toes, on a couple of the bodies their knee caps had been removed. During the autopsy it was reveled that they had electrical shock devices implanted in certain areas of the body that would cause the most pain. They had been brutely tortured and then killed. It may even be that they were dead long before the reported three boarded the train in Balamb."

The General, despite his long military record, was shocked. It wasn't far off from what he wanted to do, but since they had not been the ones who had almost taken his little girl from him… An idea struck the General. He had not made it known that his little girl had 'died'. They could use this to get to the real assassin.

"Rinoa, Squall. I think I know how we can lure out the assassins. I think they were hired, probably by Balamb, to kill those known as the _Seraphim._ If I make a public announcement, within the community, that I am hiring the _Seraphim_ to take out the assassins that killed my innocent girl that was now a civilian visiting her Grandparents in Windhill, that should cause a reaction large enough to lead us to the real culprits."

Rinoa smiled and hugged her dad. Then she turned to Squall. "I told you he would agree. We didn't even have to tell him." Squall smiled at Rinoa.

"Sir, on a much happier note," he said as he turned to the General. "I would like to ask for your blessing and Rinoa's hand in marriage."

Squall was surprised to be pulled into a three way hug with the General and Rinoa.

"Absolutely my boy. I know you have taken good care of her and will continue to." The General said as he let go. "But for now, lets focus on killing those bastards before the Centrans attack and start making life difficult."


	19. Chapter 19: Innocense Lost

CH 19: Innocence Lost

Authors Note:

It has been a very long time since I last posted anything for this story. I must admit that I lost a lot of my fire for doing this, but am very happy that I came back to this. I would like to thank Nagia Heartilly for her support. I wont promise on when the next chapter will be out, but it wont be almost 2 years. I'm going to shoot to update every Tuesday, so please be patient with me. I still don't have any idea on how long this is going to be since we are still not halfway though the plot I have developed, but plots change so we'll see.

CH 19: Innocence Lost

"What do you mean dad?" Rinoa looked at her father while Squall moved to stand behind her.

"My sources tell me that the Centrans are planning a massive assault. It appears that they are targeting Galbadia, Esthar, as well as Balamb and all of the independents. All at once." The General spoke grimly.

"The rest of the entire world at once? But that would mean…" Rinoa couldn't finish, but then she didn't need to.

"That's right. They have the largest army amassed that we have ever seen. We need to clean up as much of this mess as we can and move to strike targets of opportunity against Centra. I have been contacted by several agencies and even the Estharian Government concerning hiring out your services. If you guys are up to it, I would really like to get after those that tried to kill my family." Anger seeped into the General's voice.

Squall placed his hand on Rinoa's shoulder. "Sir, I want them dead as much as you do. I'm ready whenever you two are. I am a warrior and I am ready to finish what others have begun." Squall took a deep breath. "Even so, we need to recruit more into the _Seraphim_. We are only two and cannot handle near as many jobs as it sounds like you have been approached for."

Rinoa placed her had on top of Squall's. "Squall's right dad. We need help. We need to find some people that we can rely on and trust to watch our backs. Those that we knew are gone. Irvine, Zell, and Selphie are dead. Seifer has decided to pursue being a business owner and declined our invitation. We haven't yet been able to locate Quistis, but by the report we were given by the doctor at Balamb, she may never be combat ready."

The General smiled. "I knew that you would need more than those five anyway. Lucky for you, I have just the people that you need. They are all skilled, disciplined and professionals. After seeing the show that you two put on in Windhill destroying those bandits, a large part of the Special Ops group that I led approached me about joining. I told them I would check with the _Seraphim_ once they became available. Now that you two are alive for sure, I can speak with those people again and let them know they can join."

Rinoa was looking very excited; however Squall had a concerned look on his face. He was deep in thought and missed much of the discussion that took place between Rinoa and her father. When he tuned back in the two were discussing how the Special Ops that would be joining would need to learn how to work with the original _Seraphim._

Squall decided it would be best to interrupt now and get everything out of the way before hand. "Before you guys get too far into planning, we have a problem that we need to address."

Rinoa looked confused, her head tilting to the side. "What problem would that be?" The General merely had a blank look on his face.

"It's just that there is no way that we should have survived that blast, Rinoa. Even with my healing and speed, I should have died in the explosion. As it was, I only barely got the two of us out of there. The person disguised as Zell must have been the triggerman. He waited until he knew we were well inside the blast radius and shouldn't have been able to get out before the package went. Remember that the house was incinerated. If we hadn't already been wearing our armor, and if I hadn't been able to speed up enough to get us and our helmets out, we would have died." Squall paused for a second to calm himself down. As he had spoken he had become more animate and was speaking very fast. Once he had calmed down enough he continued. "I think that we need to remain dead. The _Seraphim_ must now be our only identity. We are no longer Squall and Rinoa. We must be something different. Something more that cannot be seen as mere flesh and blood."

A small smile was spreading on Rinoa's face. "Squall waxes eloquent." Squall couldn't help it as a tinge of red touched his face. "But Squall is right. We have to be dead. We can only be _Seraphim_. I suppose that it will require us to have new names then, wont it?"

"Yes, Rinoa, it will. I suppose that we would have needed code names anyway and they may as well serve as our names from this point forward. I've been trying to think of something that would work, but I'm just not coming up with anything."

Silence seemed to descend on the group of three, as if they were trying to make some life altering decision, despite the decision having already been made, some months before. The General started pacing, hand on his chin as he thought while Rinoa and Squall merely stood, staring off in different directions. It was quite for several minutes before the General spoke.

"I think that I have some code names that will work for you. I'm not entirely sure how good they will be, but they may be functional at least for the time being."

"What are they, dad?"

"Well, for you I was thinking along the lines of Athena. She was a mythical Goddess and was the patron of wisdom and, according to some, battle."

"Athena, I like it. It will take a lot of getting used to though. It will be hard to call you anything other than Rinoa."

"Thank Squall! But what will we be calling you?"

"For Squall I was struck with the name Paladin. The name means 'Defender of a Noble Cause'. I think that it would be quite fitting considering what the _Seraphim_ have been doing, and will probably be doing for awhile now." The smile that spread on the General's face was small, but full of pride for the teens.

"Wow, so many changes. It still seems so very, very strange."

"Yeah, it does Squall… I mean Paladin. Urgh. That is not going to be easy at all is it?"

"No… Athena… it isn't going easy any time soon. Practice will be important, but its going to be tough for a long time."

"You'll find it easier when you are addressing each other while your under your helmets. Its what makes your armor so perfect. Armor is all well an good to protect your lives, but it also provides a form of anonymity and for a mercenary force, that is a huge must. Especially since who you work for today, you may be fighting tomorrow. If they cant tell who is who, they wont be able to try and get close to you or use prior contact against you. It also discourages them from trying to become to well liked by the armored commando mercenaries. Keeps repraisels From becoming personal like what was tried with you."

"We understand Dad. No fraternizing with the clients and keep our internal fraternizing to times when it is only the _Seraphim _present."

"Exactly. Please remember in that same vein that times like this, where it is only the three of us can we be family. The rest of the time, I think it would be best if I am only referred to as Caraway by the _Seraphim_. This should denote to any outsiders that while respected for who I have been, I am an employee of the _Seraphim_ and nothing more." The two teens nodded at the lecture, indicating that they understood and would work to make the appropriate appearances.

"Now, why doesn't Athena give me the mission report so we can get the group paid."

The next several hours was treated as a Post-Op Debrief, or POD. At the end of the report and after answering all the questions that Caraway had, he sighed in resignation, confusing the other two.

"What's the problem Caraway?" It sounded just as odd to Rinoa aka Athena to hear this come out of her own mouth as it did for the others to hear her say it.

"I'm just saddened whenever a warrior, a protector, achieves what is the ultimate end for our kind. The loss of innocence. No matter how many times I see it, it is still sad to see that light go out of a persons eyes as they realize how mortal we all are, and how easy it is to end another life. You seem to be handling this very well."

"I wasn't at first, but Sq… Paladin and I talked about it after it happened and we had talked about it a lot before it happened. It was still painful realizing that I took a life, but I believe that, from our discussions, I was better prepared for it. It also helps that I feel justified in those monsters parading as humans having died by my hand. Having also been a victim.

It wasn't vengeance.

It was justice."


End file.
